New Beginnings
by superfreakerz
Summary: AU. After transferring to Fairy Tail High School, Lucy Heartfilia finds herself content with her newest and only friends: Erza and Levy. However, with their attempt to bring her out of her shell, she finds herself in a group chat with her two friends, a stripper, a crazy jealous girl, an alcoholic, and a pyro who just so happens to tear down her walls and make her heart race.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hello! :D This is my very first AU nalu story! :D First off, I want to say that this is partly inspired by MissyPlantina's _Texting Fire_ (such a great story btw). Anyways, hope you all enjoy! Please leave a review! :D

Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny morning in Magnolia. Birds were chirping their melodious tunes while luscious, green grass swayed side to side. Morning dew- which was sure to evaporate soon- was sprinkled upon each blade of grass, giving them well needed moisture. It was here in this small town where a blonde, teenage girl woke up with a frantic heart.

Lucy Heartfilia was a new resident in the town of Magnolia. She had spent all of her prior school years in a private all-girl school until a recent tragic event occurred. Now here she was, getting ready for her very first day in a public school. The girl was finally going to meet _real_ people rather than the ones she used to be forced to affiliate with- the ones that were too obsessed with money and materials. While the teen was eager to begin a new life, she was undoubtedly nervous. What if people didn't like her? What if they just used her for her money?

Lucy pushed the negative thoughts aside and let out a sigh as she rummaged through her closet, looking for her new school uniform- which she had somehow already misplaced. The girl pushed past the boxes that were in the way- she still hadn't unpacked everything- and eventually a dark brown piece of fabric caught her eye.

" _Alright, there's the skirt,"_ she thought, " _now I just have to find the rest of it."_

In the end, Lucy managed to find the rest of her uniform, which was tucked away in one of her boxes, most likely misplaced when she was unpacking some of her clothes. Throwing it on, the girl began to admire her appearance in her mirror. She admired the calming brown color of the uniform rather than the bright red of her last uniform, which was just a way to show off that they had money.

Grabbing her hairbrush, Lucy then began to brush through her long locks of golden hair. She recalled when she lived with her father when she was forced to have one of their servants do her hair every day. Though he was a kind man- who for some reason had a weird habit of repeating the word "shrimp"- Lucy always wished to do everything herself. Too bad she had to suffer a great loss in order to do so.

Glancing at the clock, Lucy took in a deep breath. It was time to go. Thus, she grabbed her keys and finally left her quaint apartment, her heart beating faster and faster with each step.

" _Well, it's time to see what a public school is like."_

* * *

Lucy stared at the building in front of her with bright eyes and a beaming smile. It was nowhere near the size of her old school, and for some reason that seemed to excite her. It wasn't in the best of condition and she could swear she saw people fighting on the side, yet she already felt much more relaxed here than she ever did in the preppy school she used to attend.

" _Wow, how exciting!"_

Suddenly, the girl felt somebody run into her, causing her to fall to the ground with a thud.

"Oh, shit! My bad!" Lucy heard from behind. She turned around to face a boy with dark hair and equally dark eyes, holding a hand out to her to help her up.

A faint blush appeared on the girl's cheeks as she took his hand and stood up to face him. She had never had any real experiences with a boy and had never even _spoken_ to one besides the servants at the mansion she used to reside in or the boys she was forced to meet by her father for possible future husbands.

"Sorry about running into you! I was just trying to get away from-"

"LOVE RIVAL!" a new voice cried out. Lucy turned to face a girl who appeared her age with long, wavy locks of blue hair.

"Shit. Well, gotta run!"

And with that, the two ran off, leaving Lucy to wonder what just happened.

" _So this is what public schools are like."_

* * *

"Why hello there," a short, old man greeted Lucy as she entered the main office.

"H-Hi," Lucy replied, bowing to the older gentleman. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia and I just transferred here. I came here for my schedule. Are you the principal?"

"Indeed I am! You may call me Principal Makarov! And this is my wonderful secretary, Mirajane!"

"Hello there," a younger woman greeted with a wave of her hand. She looked to be only a few years older than Lucy with long, wavy locks of silver hair. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. "You can call me Mira!"

" _Wow, she's pretty,"_ Lucy thought as she returned the secretary's wave with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Here is your schedule! I'll be the one to show you to all of your classes!"

"Okay!"

And with that, the two were off to find Lucy's first class, which was apparently math. Lucy inwardly sighed as math was always her least favorite subject. Sure, she had always gotten good grades, but it was still a horrendously boring and hard subject. When the two girls finally approached the classroom, Lucy's breath hitched. It was time for her very first class in a public school.

"Here you go!" Mira exclaimed as she opened the door. "Just introduce yourself to the teacher and let him take it from there! I'll be waiting here after the period ends in case you need help to your next class. Good luck!"

With that said, Lucy slowly brought her shaky hand up to the door and opened it, her insides turning into jelly from sheer nervousness. Walking in the room, the girl could hear hushed whispers of questions or statements. The girl was too shy to look at any of her new classmates and instead made her way to the teacher.

"Hello, I am Lucy Heartfilia. I'm a new student," she said with a bow.

"Nice to meet ya! My name is Wakaba! Just take a seat at that empty desk over there!" the teacher replied with a welcoming smile.

Lucy did as she was told and took her seat, which was in between a boy with orange hair and glasses and a girl with dazzling scarlet hair. She tried to pay attention to Wakaba's lesson, but found herself dozing off easily. Not wanting to fall asleep on her first day and make a bad first impression with the teacher, the blonde decided to doodle in her notebook as an attempt to stay awake.

Finally, a loud bell rang throughout the school, signaling that class was over. Lucy hurriedly packed her things so as to not keep Mira waiting when she felt a warm hand grab her own. The girl looked to find it was the boy that sat next to her holding onto her.

"Why, you are the most magnificent woman I have ever laid eyes on," he said, pushing his glasses up more on the bridge of his nose. "My name is Loke. Yours is Lucy, correct? Ahh, what a spectacular name! It brings my heart such joy hearing it-"

"Loke, leave her alone so she can get to her next class without being late," the red-headed girl chimed in, giving a serious aura. "It is nice to meet you, Lucy. My name is Erza Scarlet."

" _Wow, her last name is the color of her hair, that's cool!"_ Lucy thought.

"It's nice to meet you too!" she finally replied, nervous but also joyed to be talking to someone on her first day.

"What class are you going to next?"

Lucy looked at her schedule and replied, "Umm, it looks like I've got creative writing next!"

"Oh, splendid. I have a friend in that class, I will walk you and introduce you to her."

The girl beamed at the red-head in front of her and eagerly nodded her head. Once they exited the classroom, Lucy explained to Mira that Erza would be walking her instead and the two girls made their way towards their destination, all the while chatting. Apparently Erza was the Student Council president and was the captain of many sports teams, her favorite being kendo. Lucy was amazed at the girl's impressive feats and considered joining some clubs herself.

When the two made it to the classroom, Lucy followed Erza as they walked towards a petite girl with a bright shade of blue hair.

"Levy, this is Lucy Heartfilia. She just transferred here. Can you show her to her next class after this?" Erza politely asked.

Levy nodded her head and shooed the president out so she wouldn't be late to her next class. Then she focused all of her attention on the blonde in front of her.

"Hiya!" she greeted with a cute wink. "My name is Levy! Do you like writing stories!?"

"E-Eh? Why do you ask?" Lucy inquired, her face gaining warmth by the second as her secret was being revealed.

"Because everyone that takes this class loves to either write or read! Or they're just here for an easy credit. But you don't look like that kind of person!"

"I-I guess I like writing…"

"Great! Since we're friends now, can I read some of your stories!?"

Lucy's eyes widened as a smile crept to her face. "F-Friends? I haven't finished my story, though!"

"Then let me be the first to read it when you finish! I'm a terrible writer but I love reading!"

Lucy beamed at the girl and replied, "Deal!"

The two girls then chatted about anything and everything. Apparently Levy wasn't into any sports, but was a part of the most elite students of the school with a magnificent 4.0 GPA. Even Lucy couldn't compete with her intelligence. Lucy then caught Levy getting distracted from their conversation as her gaze went towards the back of the classroom. Lucy followed her gaze until her eyes landed on a scruffy looking boy in the back of the class with long, unruly black hair and a bunch of metal piercings.

"Do you like him?" Lucy asked with a smirk, the answer to her question being painfully clear.

"W-What are you talking about, Lu-chan!?" the petite girl replied, frantically waving her arms in the air. "Don't be stupid!"

"Whatever you say, Levy-chan!"

With that, the bell rang and class began. Introductions were short with Lucy's teacher, Virgo. Lucy could tell she was an eccentric teacher, the most noticeable clue being her pink hair. Unlike her previous class, the girl found herself able to stay awake and fully function. Writing was her passion, her _dream._ It was what she had aspired to do since she was a child. The blonde always loved to read- especially since there wasn't much to do when she was locked away in that horrid mansion- and eventually reading wasn't enough for her so she picked up a pen and went to work on writing her first novel at the age of nine, though it was horrendous.

When creative writing ended, Lucy was beyond relieved to find that Lucy had chemistry with Levy next. They got to class quickly and hurriedly finished introductions with their teacher, Macao. Looking around the room, Lucy saw that the boy that bumped into her earlier was also in this class, along with the girl that labeled her as "Love Rival." Shrugging it off, the blonde went to her seat by Levy and talked to her new best friend once again.

The rest of the school day was a blur, as Lucy didn't have any more classes with Levy. She hadn't made any friends besides Erza and Levy, but that didn't matter. These two girls were the only real friends she's ever had, and she's only just met them. It didn't matter how many friends one has as long as they are real.

Thus, Lucy found herself walking home with a bright smile plastered on her face. She was undoubtedly exhausted from her first, long day at school, but it was fun nonetheless. Stepping into her new apartment, the girl was once again bombarded with loneliness. Walking towards her bed, the teen picked up a picture frame off of her nightstand, next to which was her bed. In the picture was her along with her parents and an old doll she used to have. Picking up a pen and a piece of paper, Lucy began to write a letter.

"Hello, Mama," she wrote, "it's been a short while since I wrote to you last. I just attended my first day at a public school! I used to always ask you and Dad to let me go to a public school, but you guys always said no. Anyways, it was really fun! I finally made my first friends today, Erza and Levy-chan! Levy-chan is going to read my story when I'm done with it! I wish you could've done the same. Anyways, give my regards to Dad. I love and miss you both."

With that, Lucy hopped into bed with a wistful smile, missing her parents but also happy with her circumstances. Sure, it was lonely when she came home to an empty apartment, and she would trade anything to be a happy family with them all once again. But for the first time since their deaths, Lucy finally felt happy. She could only hope that happiness would last.

 **AN:** Don't worry, Natsu will be joining the story very soon, so stick around! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Lol how embarrassing I accidentally put a chapter from my other story as the first chapter. Luckily I fixed it haha! Anyways, hope you all enjoy! :D

Chapter 2

Lucy woke up with a loud yawn as she stretched her body. The girl could hear her bones popping and though she knew it wasn't a good thing, it did feel good. After tossing on her school uniform, she made herself a quick breakfast: one sunny-side-up egg and two pieces of toast with strawberry jam. Once finished with eating, she delightfully left her apartment and was on her way to school, which was definitely becoming one of her favorite locations, nerdy as that may be.

It was a Friday morning, and after that day would be the end to her first week of school. Lucy never did end up making more friends besides Erza and Levy. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She and Loke were friends, they just weren't as close as she was to the two girls. Maybe she wasn't missing out on much being in an all-girl school since it wasn't like she talked to boys anyways.

Walking into her math classroom, Lucy found Loke flirting away with most of the girls in the class- which she referred to as his "fangirls." Taking her seat beside Erza, she greeted the red-head with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Erza!" she exclaimed as she pulled out her almost completed homework and attempted to finish the one problem that was kicking her ass.

"Good morning, Lucy. I am glad to see you are getting accustomed to things here at Fairy Tail High. Did you need help with a problem on the homework?" Erza asked as she noticed Lucy's brows furrow at the sight of the problem.

Lucy gratefully nodded as Erza scooted her chair closer and began to teach her the steps that she was having a hard time with before. While Erza was definitely no Levy when it came to intelligence, she was a pretty bright girl, especially when it came to math.

"Oh, I get it now!" Lucy exclaimed. "Thanks, Erza!"

The red-head smiled in return as Wakaba entered the room, class starting.

* * *

"Lu-chan!" Levy shouted, running up to hug her dear friend. "How was math? Did you end up finishing your homework? You had to go pretty early last night to finish!"

The two girls had gotten surprisingly close in the span of four days. Both exchanged phone numbers- as Lucy did with Erza as well- and began to walk home together every day. The two even stayed up texting to gossip or talk about Levy's progress with Gajeel- though most of the time there was none.

"Yep! Erza helped me finish the last question today before class! She's such a lifesaver!" Lucy answered as they took their respective seats.

"Oh good! Do you wanna go get some food after school?"

"Yeah, sure!"

Class then began as Virgo started to lecture the class about making their stories interesting. Apparently many of the students lacked creativity and were in need of punishments, whatever _that_ meant. Every day was fun in that class. They would have a prompt on the board and would spend twenty minutes writing what they could for a short story. Then Virgo would randomly select students using popsicle sticks and make them read their stories aloud. Luckily, Lucy's hadn't been picked yet. She would surely die of embarrassment if that were to happen.

Chemistry was the next class. Lucy had eventually learned the names of the two she had "met" the first day of school: Gray and Juvia. Apparently Gray enjoyed freezing everything, even if it had absolutely nothing to do with the experiment. She had felt strange vibes one day and turned to find Juvia shooting daggers at her with her eyes, whispering "Love Rival." Levy made sure to let Lucy know that's how Juvia is with all of the girls, though for some reason it was even worse with the blonde. She hadn't talked to the two since their first encounter, but enjoyed laughing at their crazy antics.

Finally it was lunchtime and Lucy found herself sitting in the library along with Levy. The two used this time to help each other with their homework to lessen the amount they had to do later that night. Lucy would help Levy with writing their short stories for their creative writing class while Levy would help the blonde with anything else that she was struggling with.

"Hey, Lu-chan," Levy started in a hushed tone considering they were in a library, "why haven't you made any other friends since you came here? You don't seem like the type of person that's too shy to try making friends."

Lucy sighed and stretched her aching body. "It's not that I'm shy. I just don't feel the need to go make more friends. I have you and Erza, and even Loke! That's all I need. I guess I just prefer keeping a low circle of friends."

While what Lucy said was true, she knew that wasn't the only reason. Part of her believed that if she were to make a bunch of friends, they would find out who she was and how much money she had and would use her for that. Another part of her was scared of getting close to somebody, just to lose them right after, just as she did with her own father.

"But why? I think it's more fun to have a lot of friends!"

"Only if they are all real, and they probably aren't."

"Hmm… Well I don't know how people were back at your old school, but people here at Fairy Tail High are different! You should really try making more friends!"

"I'll think about it," she lied. With that, the two went back to their homework with an awkward feeling lingering in the air.

* * *

The school day finally came to end, also signaling the end of Lucy's first week of school. She was sitting in a quaint bakery with Erza and Levy, the smell of fresh treats filling her nose. Lucy had bought some cookies while Levy was munching on a pecan tart. _Erza,_ however, decided to buy a whole strawberry cake. The three girls were in the middle of talking about school when suddenly their petite, blue-haired friend let out a squeal.

"Did you see what Juvia sent in the group chat, Erza!?" she finally cried out.

"Juvia? I didn't know the two of you were friends," Lucy chimed in.

"Oh yeah! I just don't talk to her in Chemistry because I know she wants to spend time with Gray."

Erza then chuckled as she added, "Gray is going to kill her when he sees that picture."

Lucy was awfully curious of the picture her two friends were talking about but decided not to ask. She didn't want to be too nosy. After all, she had only met them four days ago, she wasn't about to do anything that risked losing her only friends.

"Lu-chan, you should join this group chat!" Levy cried out, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It would be so much fun!" Erza nodded as she took a bite of her cake.

"I-I think I'm fine!"

"Oh, Lu-chan! Stop being so stubborn!"

"I'm not being stubborn!"

"Yes you are!"

"She's right, Lucy," Erza finally added. "You should definitely join and meet our friends."

"But Erza-"

"No buts."

"FINE!" Lucy shouted as she turned to face Levy again. "But only on _one_ condition!"

"What?" Levy smirked, though she wouldn't be keeping that face up for long.

"You have to ask Gajeel out on a date!"

Levy dropped the piece of her tart that she was about to insert into her mouth. Slowly turning her head, she faced her blonde friend, who was smiling at her mischievously. Oh, she was _good._ She was definitely going to fit in with their group of friends. Sinking into her seat, the petite girl grabbed her phone and dialed an all too familiar number. Though she might die from embarrassment any second now, it was worth it if it meant bringing Lucy into their group and out of her shell- and it _did_ give her a reason to ask Gajeel out.

"G-Gajeel!" Levy squeaked as the boy picked up. "It's me, Levy! Oh, don't be rude I know you have caller ID! I was just saying so just in case! Anyways- yeah. Uh-huh. Wait, stop interrupting! A-Anyways… Would you like to go out on a date with me!?"

Upon seeing Levy's flustered face, Lucy and Erza had to stifle their laughter. However, when they saw their friend's eyes grow wide as a smile crept onto her face, they both cheered, knowing that she had just scored a date with her crush. Once the phone call ended, the blue-haired girl let out a sigh of relief.

"T-There, I asked!" Levy exclaimed, her face still red. "Now I get to add you!"

"W-Wait!" Lucy shrieked, snatching her friend's phone away. While she was happy for her friend landing a date with Gajeel, she certainly wasn't expecting her to get the courage to ask. "C-Can you at least do it later tonight?"

"Why-"

"Please just do it!"

"Ugh, fine! But you aren't getting out of this, Lu-chan!"

* * *

Lucy laid in her bed feeling utterly anxious. She had promised to join their silly group chat but was definitely regretting it. Damn Levy for randomly growing a pair. It was already past eleven o'clock, perhaps the bookworm had forgotten about their agreement. Or at least that's what Lucy hoped until she heard her phone buzz on the nightstand beside her. Picking it up with a groan, she saw a message from Gray.

It read, "JUVIA DELETE THAT PICTURE RIGHT NOW OR ELSE!"

Lucy then scrolled up until she found the picture he and her two friends were talking about before. It was Gray's face photo-shopped onto another guy's body, which in turn was proposing to a girl. As one could probably guess, Juvia's face was photo-shopped onto the girl's face.

" _Wow, Juvia is really good at photo-shopping things…"_ Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand. " _Speak of the devil…"_

Lucy then read a message from Juvia that said, "LOVE RIVAL! WHO INVITED YOU HERE!? ARE YOU HERE TO STEAL MY LOVELY GRAY-SAMA!?"

Lucy shuddered and nearly turned off her phone but decided that would only rile the girl up even more, putting even more crazy thoughts into her head. Thus, she picked up her phone and replied, and that is how she was sucked into the long conversation that follows:

 **Lucy:** Umm, I think you have the wrong idea Juvia! I'm not trying to steal anybody! Levy added me!

 **Levy:** Thanks for selling me out Lu-chan!

 **Lucy:** Ur welcome :)

 **Gray:** Oh hey Lucy! We never did talk after I ran into you huh?

 **Juvia:** Gray-sama don't talk to Love Rival!

 **Gray:** JUST HURRY UP AND GO DELETE THAT PICTURE!

 **Lucy:** Aww, why? I thought it was pretty cute! :P

 **Gray:** Ugh not you too!

Lucy giggled as she stared at her phone. She had to admit, it was pretty fun talking to them so far, despite Juvia's misguided jealousy towards her. Once she felt her phone buzz again, she looked back at their conversation.

 **Cana:** Huh? Whos this? Wtf am I missing here?

 **Gray:** She's a new girl at our school and she's in a couple of our classes.

 **Cana:** Oh. Well hey there Lucy ;)

 **Lucy:** Hi! Btw, where's Erza?

 **Gray:** Some student council thing with Jellal.

 **Lucy:** Oooh, Jellal ;)

Lucy smiled at the screen as she remembered the day she found out _Erza_ actually had a crush on somebody. Not to mention that he was a year older than them and was actually able to make the steely girl flustered.

 **Levy:** She's gonna kill you when she reads this Lu-chan!

 **Lucy:** Maybe

The conversation then continued for what seemed like forever. A yawn eventually escaped the girl's mouth as she began to feel tired. Glancing at her clock, it was now well past midnight. Luckily, it was a Friday night so she didn't need to wake up early the next morning for school. Reaching for her phone, the girl's eyes began to droop heavily as her body was becoming limp. Then, she passed out for the night, unable to say goodbye to her friends.

* * *

Lucy stretched the next morning with a content smile on her face. Not wanting to check her phone first thing in the morning, she decided to make herself a nice breakfast. The girl whipped up some chocolate chip pancake mix and made just enough for herself and some leftovers for tomorrow morning. She then covered the fluffy hotcakes with warm syrup and piled a mountain of whipped cream on top. Her mouth watered just looking at the creation.

Once finished, she grabbed her phone and plopped into bed once again. Lucy was startled to find over a hundred unread messages from last night. Letting curiosity get the best of her, the girl scrolled up to the last message she sent and read from there.

 **Lucy:** Maybe

 **Gray:** Not maybe. Definitely.

 **Juvia:** RIP Love Rival

 **Levy:** It's been nice knowing you

 **Cana:** I'll make sure to pour some nice vodka over your grave

 **Gray:** Do you always have to talk about alcohol?

 **Cana:** Yes ;)

 **Juvia:** Erza is going to kill Cana now too!

 **Levy:** Yep!

 **Natsu:** Oi, why are you guys talking so much!? My phone hasn't stopped vibrating!

Lucy stared at the small screen in front of her in wonder. " _Natsu? Who's that?"_

 **Gray:** Ugh now fire pants is here. Great.

 **Natsu:** WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?

The conversation then continued with Gray and Natsu insulting each other and threatening to beat each other senseless. Lucy sighed with relief when another person finally interrupted them.

 **Levy:** Where did Lu-chan go?

 **Natsu:** Who?

 **Gray:** Lucy. She's in some of our classes. She's new.

 **Levy:** She must've fallen asleep!

 **Juvia:** Yes, Love Rival can't talk to Gray-sama now!

 **Gray:** Can you just drop that already?

 **Natsu:** Oh so she's got a thing for the stripper?

 **Gray:** No

 **Levy:** No

 **Cana:** Probably not

 **Juvia:** Yes

Lucy mentally face palmed at how idiotic the conversation was getting.

 **Erza:** We should all hang out some time.

" _Wow so she just joins in these conversations like that?"_

 **Levy:** Yes! Then everyone can actually meet Lu-chan!

 **Gray:** I'm down

 **Juvia:** I will go since Gray-sama is going

 **Cana:** I'll bring the booze

Lucy sighed inwardly as she was getting ready to hop into the bathtub for a nice soak. Her body could definitely use it. Life in public schools was much harder than it was in her old private school. Looking at her phone one last time, Lucy found a message she wasn't expecting.

 **Natsu:** I'm looking forward to meeting ya Luce!

 **AN:** Alright, any constructive criticism is much appreciated! Especially with the texting format! I didn't know how else to type it up and having it like that is easier, but if there is a way that is better let me know! :D Thanks for reading!

 **FireShifter:** Thank you! :D I see that you have found my other nalu story too! :D Thanks for all of the reviews!

 **Sidjr100:** Hope I didn't make you wait too long! Thanks for the review! :)

 **Chat'r Box:** Thank you so much! Please let me know what you think about the texting format! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hello everyone! I'm sure you're all noticing the fact that Natsu isn't very active in my story yet but give it time! Enjoy :D

Chapter 3

 **Natsu:** I'm looking forward to meeting ya Luce! :D

Lucy stared at her small, lit up screen with a puzzled look. Just who was this Natsu person? She had never met him, nor had she ever even _spoken_ to him yet he was acting so familiar with her. Hell, he even gave her a nickname already! The blonde entered her bathroom and quickly started a bath.

" _I don't know what makes him think I'm meeting him because that is definitely not happening,"_ Lucy thought as she sunk into her warm bath. " _I am just fine with the friends I have, I don't need any more. Besides, it's bad enough I have to text everyone."_

The loud buzzing of Lucy's phone drew the girl out of her thoughts. Wiping her hands with a towel, she reached over and grabbed the phone to inspect it. She then saw a new text from Levy that read, "Hey Lucy you awake yet? :)"

"Yeah I am now!" she replied, then sent another text. "Who is this Natsu guy?"

Within mere seconds Lucy had received a reply from Levy. "Natsu? He's just one of our friends! He's really feisty like you! You 2 would totes click! Btw let's hang out!"

"Ha ha ha, very funny -_- And sure let me just finish my bath first and get ready!"

"Kk!"

Lucy quickly dried herself off once she finished with her rushed bath. Waltzing into her room, she wrapped another towel around her hair to dry it quicker. Searching her closet, the blonde looked for something cute she could wear considering most of the time she had to wear her school uniform. This was her first chance to actually dress up, and she was definitely not missing that opportunity. Finding a piece of cloth that caught her eye, Lucy pulled out a white and black striped crop top and paired it with a high waist skirt that definitely did not make it to her knees. Slipping on the outfit, the girl also threw on some knee-high, black socks and black boots. Doing a twirl in front of her mirror, a smile graced her lips with satisfaction- though the skirt was dangerously close to revealing her underwear.

" _At least I'm in cute underwear if that ever happens."_

Grabbing her phone, Lucy wasn't surprised to see the group chat she recently joined was buzzing constantly.

 **Gray:** Hey Flame Brain ya coming later or what?

 **Natsu:** Don't know yet.

 **Cana:** I'm bringing booze you should come ;)

 **Natsu:** You always bring alcohol!

 **Erza:** Cana don't even think about it

 **Cana:** *whistles* ;)

" _Oh so they are hanging out today too huh? Oh crap I never figured out where I'm meeting up with Levy."_

Quickly tapping on the screen, Lucy sent her friend a text that read, "Hey where are we meeting and when? :)"

Once again, Levy replied speedily with, "Oh don't worry about it! I'll walk over to your place and then we'll walk together!"

"Okay!"

About half an hour passed when Lucy heard light tapping on her door. Rushing towards it, she threw it open to reveal Levy standing with a bright smile. The two girls hugged briefly and admired each other's outfits. Levy was in a short orange dress with a matching headband that contrasted her blue hair greatly.

"Wow, Lu-chan! You look amazing!" Levy squaled.

"So do you!" Lucy replied. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!"

"Surprise?" Lucy wasn't exactly fond of surprises.

"Yeah! It'll be fun! Let's go!"

With that, the two were off, heading towards who knows where, grateful that the weather was perfect for their outfits. They chatted about many things, such as books, school life, and lastly, Gajeel. Apparently Levy and Gajeel had been flirting nonstop for over a year- which surprised Lucy due to his… _rough_ appearance. Levy explained how he was so hot and cold towards her, how one day he would relentlessly flirt while the next he was disappearing.

"I know exactly what you should do," Lucy announced, gaining her petite friend's undivided attention. "Gotta play hard to get. You've been giving him the upper hand and letting him choose when _he_ wants to talk to _you._ Make it the other way around."

Levy's eyes widened significantly as her jaw hung open. "How do I do that?"

"Easy. Don't text him, talk to him, or even _look_ at him unless he does it first. I guarantee he'll come running straight for you."

"Wow, Lu-chan! You're a genius when it comes to this kind of stuff, which is weird since you've never been in a relationship before and went to an all-girls school!"

"I guess I just read and write about it enough?"

"Hmm… Have you set your eyes on anyone yet?"

Lucy sighed, as she knew the question was bound to come along. The truth was, she had only talked to one boy in the school, and he happened to be the world's biggest flirt. Oh, and Gray, but that had been strictly over text and it was clear Juvia would have her head if she did anything to mess up their "relationship." Besides, it wasn't like she was interested in the guy anyways.

"Nah, nobody has caught my eye, which is weird considering I was kept away from boys for so long. Though, Loke showed interest in me… then he went and showed interest to every girl in our class so that doesn't count."

"Would he have caught your eye if he didn't?"

"…I mean, he's good looking and all, but that's not what I'm looking for in a guy. Wait, I'm not even looking for a guy in the first place! I just want friends- you and Erza to be exact!"

"Oh, Lu-chan! You'll come around eventually!"

"As if!"

After about fifteen more minutes of walking and chatting, the two girls arrived at a small, run down building downtown.

"An arcade?" Lucy asked with bright eyes. "I've never been to one before!"

"You've never been to an arcade!?" Levy asked with a hung open jaw. "You're gonna love it!" Levy then grabbed the blonde's hand and raced into the store, laughter filling the air.

Lucy gaped once she entered the cramped store. The air was humid and had a funky smell, but the sight of a bunch of games instantly excited her.

"Oh, you two finally made it. Late, I see."

Turning around, Lucy was met with one of her dearest friends. "Erza!" The blonde was then running towards the red-head before being interrupted.

"Hello, Lucy. Come, let me introduce you to everyone."

Lucy stopped in her tracks with her arms still raised in front of her as she sputtered, "E-Everyone?"

"That is what I said, is it not?"

"What do you mean by everyone!?"

Erza sighed, her patience quickly diminishing. "Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, and Cana. You have not met them yet."

It all clicked in her mind. Levy had tricked her into meeting the group by forcing her to deal with Erza. A roll of sweat dripped down Lucy's face as she stared into the red-head's merciless eyes. She was stuck. Having already entered the arcade, she no longer had a chance to turn around and go back home, or else she would look plain rude. Not to mention Erza would kill her…

"F-Fine," the girl finally answered as she shyly tugged at the end of her shirt. Meeting people wasn't exactly her strong suit, especially when one of them thought she were out to steal her boyfriend… Were Gray and Juvia even dating? Apparently nobody knew for sure.

Following Erza and Levy, Lucy approached the said group and felt all of their eyes boring onto her. Hesitantly looking up, the girl immediately recognized Gray and Juvia. Ignoring the blue-haired girl's deadly glare, she waved at the two with a shy smile. Then her gaze landed on a girl that was drinking from a flask, though it was clear she was underage. She had long, wavy brown hair and had an even skimpier outfit than Lucy's.

"This must be Lushii!" the girl exclaimed with a drunken slur. "I'm Cana! Wanna drink?"

"N-No thanks!" Lucy replied, though Cana kept insisting. Looking towards Levy for support, she found her best friend staring at another boy- who she had not noticed before thanks to Cana- that wasn't paying any attention to her. Immediately recognizing him as Gajeel from their creative writing class, Lucy nudged her friend to remind her to play hard to get. "Stay strong," she whispered.

"R-Right!" Levy whispered in reply. "By the way, where's Natsu?"

"Apparently he couldn't make it," Erza answered. "I will definitely have to interrogate him later considering this was supposed to be a celebration of Lucy joining our group."

"A-A celebration?" Lucy inquired, feeling a sort of happiness in her stomach. "You guys did this for me?" Tears brimmed the girl's chocolate brown eyes, though she didn't seem to mind.

"Sheesh, don't go crying, Lucy!" Gray said as he playfully nudged the blonde, ignoring Juvia's shouts of protest. "You're one of us now!"

"Thanks, guys," Lucy said as she wiped away the few tears that managed to escape her eyes. "Now let's play some games!"

With that, the group of seven separated and ran off to play some games, after giving themselves fair shares of the tokens. Lucy frowned when she found that Levy and Erza had disappeared from her side. That is, until she found Levy playing a racing game with Cana while Erza was challenged by Gajeel in a shooting game- which she easily won. The blonde smiled and shrugged it off, ready to browse the games herself. Finally, her eyes landed on an air hockey table.

"Wanna play?" a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Oh, hi Gray! Hi, Juvia!" Lucy beamed, trying her best to ignore the blue-haired girl's intense stare. "And sure! I've never played before!"

"Great, that makes it an easy win!" Gray said, followed by a chuckle.

"As if! It can't be that hard!"

"Wanna make a bet then?"

"Alright, name it!"

Gray smirked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I got it. If I win, you have to send the group chat your most embarrassing story later tonight. That way we get to learn a little more about you and tease you at the same time!"

Lucy shrugged and smiled at the boy. Now it was her turn to think of something. Glancing at Juvia and being met with an icy glare, she knew just what to do.

"If I win, you have to take Juvia on a date. A _real_ date, one that is super romantic and paid for all by you." Lucy smirked as she watched a hint of fear flash across Gray's face.

Juvia gasped and immediately brought the blonde into a tight, bone-crushing hug. "THANK YOU, LOVE RIVAL! Love Rival is no longer Love Rival! Love Rival is now Lucy! You must win this!"

The blonde laughed and hugged back. "Don't worry, Juvia! Leave it to me!"

"Prepare to be beaten," Gray said as he put two tokens in for the both of them. Retrieving the puck, he waited until Lucy was ready. Once he saw that she was, he placed the puck on the table and sent it flying towards her at the speed of light. He smirked as he saw the puck disappear into her slot.

"W-Whoa," Lucy breathed. "This might be a little harder than I thought…"

Getting the puck, Lucy tried to mimic Gray's movements and hit the puck with all of her might… only to have it fly off of the table and hit some unsuspecting boy playing another game. Once she got the puck back- after apologizing countless of times- Lucy tried again, this time hitting it softer. The brown puck went slowly towards Gray, who laughed at the sight. He then easily hit it back, scoring another point.

"H-How many points does it take to win?" Lucy asked, preparing to send an embarrassing story considering how the game was going.

"Five," Gray answered. Juvia cried in the corner, seeing her only hope of a date being crushed easily.

Lucy frowned and readied the puck once again. Staring at the boy's slot, an idea popped into her head. Since she had been trying straight forward hits, perhaps she should try making it bounce off of the wall. Shrugging, the girl figured it was worth a shot, and to her surprise it actually worked. Gray smiled, seeing as how the game was now becoming more interesting. Shooting the puck towards her, Lucy managed to block it, sending it back into his slot. The two were now tied.

"Wow, Lucy! Wasn't expecting you to block it to be honest!" Gray said as he retrieved the puck and hit it again.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it!" Lucy exclaimed, giving Juvia hope once again. And it was true, she was now able to watch Gray's movements and her hand-eye coordination was improving.

Lucy sighed once Gray managed to score a point, only to find herself scoring after. Eventually, it was 4-4, the next person to make a shot becoming the winner. Sweat dropped down Lucy's forehead. She truly wanted to win this for Juvia, mainly so that the blue-haired girl would stop glaring at her. It would also help her from keeping her most embarrassing story locked up… It was a rather bad story…

Lucy placed the puck on the table and took a deep breath. Then, an idea popped into her head. Quickly swiping to the left, the girl made her opponent think she was going to shoot it to the left, but she quickly retracted her hand to hit the puck towards the right. Unfortunately, Gray was faster than she was and was able to block. Lucy continued to be on the offensive while Gray was stuck blocking each attack. Suddenly, the puck hit Lucy's misplaced thumb, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Lucy, are you okay!?" Gray asked as he abandoned his side of the table and ran up to the blonde, Juvia doing the same.

To Lucy's disappointment, her thumb was now red and painfully throbbing. However… With a quick motion, Lucy grabbed her mallet and sent the puck flying into Gray's abandoned slot. Gray and Juvia were left standing with their mouths hung open wide, surprised at what had just happened.

"D-Did you do that just to trick me?" Gray asked, pointing at the table.

"Honestly, no. But I saw an opening and I took advantage of it," Lucy answered, a smirk dancing on her lips.

"Lucy, you won! Now the lovely Gray-sama has to take me out on a date!" Juvia exclaimed, hugging the blonde with upmost gratitude.

"T-That's not fair!" Gray protested.

"You never said I couldn't do that, nor did you call time out," Lucy shot back.

"Y-You are evil!"

"Looks like you are fitting in rather well, Lucy," Erza said as she walked towards them, followed by the rest of the group. "I'm glad."

"Yep! Just beat Gray at air hockey!" Lucy replied.

The nearly shirtless boy attempted to defend himself, only to be interrupted by Erza. Apparently their single game of air hockey had taken longer than they thought and everyone had grown hungry. The group walked to the same bakery Lucy had gone to the day before and ordered food for themselves. Lucy settled for a blueberry muffin.

"Natsu is so gonna make fun of you for losing air hockey to someone who's never even played before!" Cana teased Gray playfully.

"Shut up," Gray retorted bitterly.

"Don't worry, Gray," Lucy began, "maybe you'll win next time!"

"Yeah, because I ain't gonna be checking to make sure you are alright next time."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, let's all get a picture together!"

Despite the boys' protests, they all scooted close together and snapped a picture of everyone smiling- besides Gajeel, whose lips were in an uninterested line. Deciding it was time to leave, they all separated and went towards their respective homes. Luckily, Lucy's apartment was on the way towards Levy's house and the two were able to walk together.

"Today was so fun!" Lucy giddily exclaimed, happy to have made more friends. Though, there were some pesky doubts in her mind…

"It was! And I didn't talk to Gajeel at all, which I think ticked him off!" Levy replied. "He'll definitely cave soon!"

"And then you'll have him wrapped around your little finger!"

When the two approached Lucy's apartment, they gave one last hug before the blonde entered the complex and eventually her room. Quickly throwing off her clothes, the girl got into some comfortable pajamas instead, much to her relief. Though she loved being able to wear revealing clothes- probably because of the sense of freedom she felt wearing them- they truly were uncomfortable. She then plopped into bed with a content sigh when her phone rang. Of course, it was the group chat with a bunch of unread messages.

 **Natsu:** Wow Gray. You let someone who's never even played air hockey beat you? That's just sad.

 **Gray:** Shut up! For the last time, she cheated!

 **Natsu:** Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.

 **Cana:** Yo, Natsu. You really missed out on meeting Lucy. She's hot AND cool!

 **Natsu:** Really? You guys shouldn't have gone without me! Now I feel left out!

 **Levy:** Why couldn't you come?

 **Natsu:** Lisanna asked me for help with Mira's birthday party. Ugh it's not fair! Luce I wanna meet you! Give me your number!

Lucy stared at the text with a weird feeling in her stomach. It was like she was queasy. Was she really going to give her number to some guy she hadn't even met before? And why exactly did he want to meet her so bad? Did he find out who she was? Was he planning on getting close to her for her money? After all, she wasn't even sure if she trusted her newest friends, there was no way she could trust some boy she had never met.

" _No, I shouldn't give him my number. I'll just ignore him."_

Feeling her phone vibrate in her hand, the girl checked the newest message in the group chat.

 **Levy:** 875-727-8902

" _Damn it, Levy-chan!"_

Looking to see if she could delete her friend's message, Lucy was disappointed to find that there was in fact no way to do so. Then her phone buzzed once again. Looking at the lit up screen, she wasn't surprised to find a text from an unknown number. _Natsu._

"Yo, Luce!"

 **AN:** Alright, starting the next chapter is when Natsu is _really_ in the story! So stick around! :D

 **FireShifter:** Thanks again! :D Hopefully it keeps you entertained!

 **Sidjr100:** Hope it wasn't too long of a wait for you! :D

 **Cheesepuppies12:** Love the username lol. And thank you so much I will try my best to stay awesome haha! :D

 **Chat'r Box:** Haha I'm glad to know you are excited :D


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Congrats to those that made it this far because Natsu is finally making a real appearance haha! :D Hope you enjoy! Here is a question of the day for all of you: What is your _least_ favorite ship in Fairy Tail? :) I think mine would be Wendy/Mest! I don't know their ship name! (No offense to those that ship them lol!)

Chapter 4

"Yo, Luce!"

Lucy stared at the phone, anxious at the two worded greeting. What was she supposed to do? Should she talk to him and see if he was a good person? Then again, it was just _too_ suspicious that he was so adamant on meeting her. Should she just delete the text? No, that would be rude…

" _Well, if Levy-chan trusts him, I guess I can try to see if he has good intentions…"_

Thus, the blonde hesitantly tapped the screen and typed a terribly simple reply, "Hello."

Her stomach was practically doing flips as the seconds ticked by. What was she so nervous for? He was friends with Erza and Levy, he had to be a good person! Not even a moment had passed by when she felt her phone vibrate in her hand.

"Let's meet!"

" _What the hell!? He just wants to meet right off the bat? I haven't even talked to him before! Like hell that's happening!"_

She then furiously typed, "No thank you."

"Why not!?"

"Because I don't know you."

"But you met the others even though you didn't know them!"

Lucy cringed as he was right. Then she remembered that she didn't have a choice, but instead of telling him that, the girl found herself curious and far too suspicious.

"Why do you want to meet me so badly anyways? Seems you have enough friends as it is."

A twinge of guilt ran through the girl. Perhaps she came off a little harsh. Lucy waited anxiously for a reply. Natsu had been replying at the speed of light before. Why is it that when she's asking a serious question he decides to take his time? It seemed oddly suspicious to the blonde. Finally, he texted back.

"Is it bad to want more?"

"Not exactly. It's just that they end up being fake once you get a lot of them. Some of yours could be using you actually. Should probably be careful with who you befriend."

Lucy mentally face-palmed as she re-read the text she sent. She had no idea why she was being so… _rude_ to this boy. She didn't even know him! But at least it would keep the amount of possible people to betray her to a minimum… The girl nearly had a heart attack when she felt her phone vibrate.

"Is that what happened to you?"

"No."

"Well, either way, my friends aren't like that. We are a family. Don't go accusing them like that. Nice talkin to ya Luce."

And with that, Natsu had stopped texting her. Lucy felt a mixture of guilt and disappointment in the pit of her stomach. She was _definitely_ being harsh on the guy, and it was all because of her personal fears. Shutting her phone off, Lucy decided to take a nap and wake up hopefully feeling better afterwards.

* * *

Lucy woke up roughly two hours later and lazily stretched her body. Instinctively grabbing her phone, she found herself disappointed that Natsu hadn't texted her again. Part of her wanted to try again with the boy while the other figured it was for the best. Going with the former, Lucy decided she would try to talk to him in the group chat, which apparently hadn't died down since she had left.

 **Juvia:** Juvia is so excited about her date with Gray-sama! Erza-san, do you want to go shopping for clothes with me?

 **Erza:** Of course, Juvia.

 **Gray:** Oi, don't need to be buying a new outfit. It ain't gonna be anything fancy.

 **Erza:** According to Lucy, you agreed to a romantic and fancy date. I expect you to be dressed accordingly as well.

 **Gray:** Fine!

 **Natsu:** That's what you get for losing, Ice Pick!

 **Gray:** Shut the hell up! You woulda lost too if you were in that situation!

 **Natsu:** No I wouldn't!

" _Oh good! He's still texting in the group chat! And he's replying quickly, which means he's paying attention to it! So if I text him, he should reply!"_

 **Lucy:** Hi Natsu!

A few minutes passed by as Lucy awkwardly waited for his reply. Her stomach once again regained the queasy feeling from before. It was as if she was scared of his reply. After all, she was a little harsh… Finally, her phone buzzed as Natsu replied, giving Lucy hope. However…

 **Natsu:** So what's everyone up to tomorrow?

" _H-He's ignoring me!? I know I was a little mean, but that is just cruel! Oh god, what if everyone sees it and questions him! Then he'll tell them what happened and they'll all hate me! Damn it, Lucy! I shouldn't have been so suspicious!"_

 **Cana:** Nothing. Let's do something fun.

 **Levy:** Oh yes! Let's go to the aquarium!

 **Cana:** I guess that sounds fun… as long as I bring the booze.

 **Erza:** I give up with you, Cana. Anyways, I am happy with these arrangements.

 **Gray:** Same.

 **Natsu:** Nice! I'm all fired up!

Deeming this as a nice way to restart with Natsu, Lucy tried again and quickly replied.

 **Lucy:** Sounds fun! I'll be there!

A minute had passed before…

 **Natsu:** Actually, turns out I can't make it. Looks like I got plans.

Lucy gasped at the text, her mouth hanging wide open. " _AS IF THAT ISN'T THE MOST OBVIOUS THING IN THE WORLD! Now they are all going to know there's something wrong! Damn it! I finally made friends too…"_

 **Lucy:** Oh shoot. I'm sick. I can't come either. Hope you guys have fun.

And with that, Lucy chucked her phone on the opposite side of her bedroom and began to sob into her pillow.

" _Looks like I'm meant to be alone."_

* * *

Natsu stood in line, waiting with his friends to purchase their tickets. They were all talking about something, though he paid it no mind. His mind was too wrapped around something else. Or perhaps _someone_ else. The boy hadn't even flinched when Gajeel- who had decided himself to tag along- had knocked him hard upside the head. Instead, he simply rubbed the soon-to-be bruised spot and continued to zone out. The pink-haired boy failed to notice his friends share a worried glance with each other before nodding their heads.

When the group had finally gotten their tickets, Natsu was pulled out of his own little world of thought when he felt somebody tugging on his wrist. Looking at the person, he found that it was Gray, who was leading him away from the group and towards a tank with a bright red octopus. When they finally reached the tank, Gray finally released his hold on the boy.

"So what's up with you and Lucy?" Gray asked. He was in dark jeans and a tank top, despite the cold air conditioning in the building.

"What do you mean?" Natsu nonchalantly replied, his arms crossed behind his head. "There's nothing going on. I don't know her."

"There's obviously something going on between you two with how you were acting in the group chat. You were ignoring her like crazy. Then you backed out of plans that _you_ started when Lucy said she would join. Then she says she's sick and you end up coming here? It's obvious you are avoiding her. Spit it out."

"Leave me alone, there's nothing to talk about," Natsu replied as he began to walk away before a cold hand clamped onto his shoulder, turning him back around.

"Why the hell don't you like her?" Gray asked incredulously. "You were stoked about meeting her yesterday, what the hell happened last night to change that?"

"She's just not someone I thought she was. She doesn't like me for some reason. Like I said, I don't know her."

"She's nice and funny! And incredibly smart! There's no reason not to like her!"

Seeing Natsu uninterestedly shrug only further ticked off Gray. The dark hair boy lunged at the boy and tackled him to the floor, ignoring the startled cries of other customers. Reaching into his friend's coat pocket, Gray found what he was looking for. Keeping Natsu at bay with one hand, Gray used his other hand to open his texts with Lucy and read them. His eyes widened at how such a sweet girl was suddenly so cold to Natsu.

"That's weird…" he said as Natsu snatched his phone back. "She wasn't like that with any of us."

"Yeah, I know. I didn't like her accusing my friends though, so I chose to avoid her. Happy now?" Natsu rhetorically asked, clearly agitated.

"Look, there's clearly something about her past. You figured that out yourself. Maybe you two should talk about it."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because she's our friend. Everyone likes her and you can't keep avoiding each other."

"…Fine."

"By the way, why didn't you tell anyone about this?"

Natsu shrugged as he shoved his hands into his pockets and answered, "Didn't want you guys to be mad at her or anything."

Gray smirked. "Who knew you could be such a nice guy?"

"Oh shut up."

* * *

Lucy was in the process of lounging in bed when she heard her phone buzzing loudly on her nightstand. The girl had been nestled in bed all day, only getting up once to take a quick shower. She decided to ignore the text, fearing that it was one of her friends expressing their new hatred towards her for being a terrible person towards Natsu.

" _I don't even know what got into me,"_ she thought, tears brimming her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. " _I should've given him a chance, even if he was just going to use me."_

Lucy was startled when her phone continued to vibrate unsoundly next to her. Hesitantly picking it up, she found that it was Natsu spamming her with text messages.

" _He's probably cursing me out right now…"_

Opening the text messages with the intent of apologizing and never speaking to him again, Lucy was undoubtedly startled with the string of text messages:

"Yo, Luce!"

"Lucy?"

"I know you aren't sick."

"Hurry up and answer me, you weirdo!"

"L"

"U"

"C"

"Y"

"LUCYYYY ANSWER ME!"

The blonde was utterly confused. Didn't he hate her? Perhaps he wanted her to respond before he sent hateful messages to make sure she was reading them…

"Natsu?" she typed out, fearing his reply. She flinched when the phone quickly lit up with a new message.

"Where are you? Why aren't you here at the aquarium?"

"Because it was clear you didn't want me there…"

"If I didn't want you here I wouldn't be texting ya right now! Come over here already!"

Lucy's heart stopped beating for a second. He wasn't mad after everything she said? Or perhaps he was luring her there so they could all yell at her and beat her up or something… She cringed at the thought of Erza's wrath.

"Don't you hate me?"

"Nahh, I overreacted. Sorry bout that!"

Lucy glanced at the clock. "The aquarium is closing soon. I wouldn't make it in time anyways."

"I guess you're right. Wanna try again tomorrow after school?"

"I have to study for a test…"

"Then what about the day after?"

Lucy frowned at the text, her doubt still lingering in her mind. There was no possible way someone would want to meet her that badly, especially after her harsh words. She didn't deem herself anything special, after all.

"Why are you so determined to meet me?"

Lucy's heart beat erratically, fearing Natsu would get mad at her for asking this again. Maybe she shouldn't have asked… Finally, her phone rang.

"I guess you're just interesting, Luce."

Lucy stared at the message, her mind boggled at its meaning. Interesting? Interesting is watching somebody decorate a cake or make a wonderful piece of art. She definitely did not find herself interesting, especially when the only things she had said to Natsu were little jabs.

"What do you mean by interesting?" Lucy typed back, eagerly waiting for a response. Luckily she didn't have to wait long.

"I don't know, you just are!" Natsu replied. "You are weird!"

"That's rude you know!"

"No it isn't! It's just a fact!"

A small smile crept on Lucy's lips. She had felt much better now that she had made amends with Natsu, though she didn't really know him. Yet, there was a part of her that knew he intrigued her. She wanted to know more about him.

"So… what's up? :)" the girl asked as she began to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Ehh nothing much. Just got home from the aquarium. My place is pretty lame. Happy is sleeping too."

"Happy?"

"My cat! Wanna see him!? :D"

Without needing to respond, Lucy immediately received a picture. Needless to say, it was a _very_ peculiar cat considering he had blue fur… The blonde wondered if Natsu dyed his fur or if genetics had messed up.

"He's very… cute…"

"Oi that seems sarcastic!"

"Not sarcastic. Just a nice lie. :P I'm just kidding, he's a little cute!"

"Just wait until you meet him! :D When do I get to meet you btw?"

"Never."

Lucy smiled as she waiting for a response, giddy to see what Natsu had to say. Of course she was just messing with him. For the most part at least… The girl's happiness slowly began to crumble as minutes passed and there was still no reply from her newest friend. Just then, her phone began to ring in her hands. Though, unlike a text message, the phone kept ringing. Natsu was actually calling her!

" _Why is he calling!? I don't even really know him, I shouldn't answer! And what if my voice is all raspy or something from crying so much? Or what if he hates my voice? Wait, why do I even care if he hates my voice!? AGH!"_

Hastily pressing on the green phone icon, Lucy answered the call with a timid, "H-Hello?" There was silence, followed by even more silence. The blonde wondered if he had accidentally called her. Until finally…

"Yo, Luce!" a voice rang throughout the phone. It was not deep, though not high pitched either. It was just right. "What do you mean we are never gonna meet?"

"That's what you called me for? And I don't know you! You could be a creepy stalker or something."

"Oi, I'm not a stalker! The others know me!"

"Well, that doesn't mean that _I_ do. What if you try to kill me?"

"Man, I didn't think you'd be this annoying."

"That's rude!" Lucy screeched into the phone, wanting nothing more than to end the call. If she ever did meet this guy, she knew wrapping her hands around his throat would be the first thing she would do.

"No it isn't. Anyways, how about we play a game then?" Natsu asked.

"A game?"

"Yeah! If I can guess three things about you, then you have to meet me!"

Lucy cupped her chin as she thought about the proposition. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to meet Natsu eventually- though not alone, of course. And the game did seem rather interesting…

"Fine! But you only get three guesses! Let's play!" she said with a happy grin.

"Nice! Hmm… You are a girl!"

"You idiot that doesn't count!"

"Argh fine! Alright, your favorite color is… pink!"

"Wow, it is! Good guess!"

Natsu chuckled and replied, "Thanks! Hmm… You are in the same grade as me!"

Lucy frowned as she shouted, "That doesn't count either! That's too obvious! Gray told you that I'm in some of his classes!"

"Oi, that doesn't mean anything! You could be a smart freshman or a dumb junior! Or he could've meant electives! So it counts!" Upon hearing Lucy muttering under her breath, the boy continued. "Hmm… Your favorite subject is math!"

Lucy made a buzzer sound effect, partially upset that his last guess was incorrect and said, "Wrong! That's my least favorite subject!"

"What!? I think you're lying!"

"I'm not!" A yawn managed to escape Lucy's mouth and she glanced towards the clock. It was now nearing midnight, and she knew she had plenty of things to do the next day. It was time for bed. "I should get some sleep now."

"Aww, sleep is for the weak, Luce!"

"Yeah, yeah. Talk more tomorrow?"

"Deal!"

With that said, the girl ended the call, the corners of her lips still tugged upwards in a smile. Though things started out rough with Natsu, they had managed to get past it and were now friends. Talking to him was actually fun and Lucy was beyond happy to be able to talk to him tomorrow. As her eyes fluttered shut, Lucy finally went to bed, though the smile on her face remained throughout the night.

 **AN:** Rocky start for our favorite couple but luckily they fixed it huh? :D Please review!

 **FireShifter:** I know, but at least he was in this chapter! :D And they actually talked! :D And thank you haha Lucy and Gray's competition was my favorite part of that chapter! And you'll have to wait to find out about Lisanna! ;) Thank you again :D

 **Fairyfan8:** Thank you and I hope I was fast enough for you! :D

 **Sidjr100:** Thank you so much for the continued reviews :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Thank you so much and I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long :)


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Hope you all enjoy this chapter just as much as I did! :D

Chapter 5

It was an early Sunday morning as Lucy groaned and picked up her phone. The small device had been buzzing almost nonstop throughout the night, finally stopping around three in the morning. It was now nine o'clock as her phone vibrated loudly once again. Expecting it to be the group chat, the blonde was definitely surprised that most of her texts were just from Natsu.

"Lucy?"

"Yo, Luce!"

"Wake up!"

"I need help with something!"

"C'mon Luce! Help me out!"

There were about twenty more texts that all shared the same message, just worded differently.

Lucy sighed as she wondered, " _We just started talking yesterday. Why the hell can't he wake up Gray instead of me?"_

The teenage girl decided to call the pestering boy, deeming it too much work to text so early in the morning on the weekend. It rang about three times, making Lucy wonder if Natsu was going to pick up. Finally, the said boy answered the call.

"Lucy!" he cried out, surprising the girl with the volume of his voice. "I need your help!"

The blonde's eyes widened. Was he in danger? "What's wrong, Natsu?"

"I need to buy my friend a present for her birthday and I don't know what to get her!"

"That's it?"

"Yep!"

Lucy wished she could reach through the phone and punch the boy for texting her relentlessly for something so trivial. However, she just sighed and replied, "You are so dumb. Anyways, I don't know how you expect me to help you."

"Tell me what to get her!"

"Who is it?"

"Mira!"

"Mira? As in the secretary at school?"

"Yeah, that's her! So can you help me?"

"I don't know anything about her, stupid! But I guess I can look around town to see if there's anything you could get her. I do need to do some grocery shopping anyways. Just make sure you pay me back!"

"You're a lifesaver, Luce! Why don't we just shop together though?"

"Because you lost the game, remember?" Lucy laughed as she heard Natsu muttering curse words under his breath. It truly was fun to tease the boy about meeting him. "Anyways, I'm going to get ready to go now. I'll text you and keep you updated, alright?"

"Thanks, Luce!"

With that said, the blonde ended the call and got herself a bowl of cereal, one of the only foods she had at the moment. Quickly finishing, Lucy hopped in the shower and relished in the feeling of the warm drops of water hitting her body. Under normal circumstances, the girl would have taken about half an hour to bathe, however today was different. She had grocery shopping and homework to do, along with helping Natsu find the perfect gift for Mira.

" _I wonder if those two are dating. Mira is really pretty, after all. Maybe Natsu is into the older girls."_

Lucy finished her shower and wrapped herself in a soft, pink towel. Roaming back into her room, the girl surveyed her closet for the perfect outfit that day. She settled for a black dress that hugged her chest and then flowed gracefully at the hips. It stopped just below her knees, giving Lucy a sense of freedom she wasn't used to experiencing yet. After all, any ankles showing back at the mansion was a huge offense. Shuddering at the memories that flooded her mind, Lucy paired the dress with black flats and a black purse and left her apartment.

Deciding it would be best to help Natsu first so that her groceries didn't melt on the way home, Lucy roamed a street full of small shops and stands. The girl was undoubtedly giddy at being able to buy whatever her heart wanted in the small, run down shops rather than having her "manager" choose fancy items in quality brand stores. Looking into the windows of one of the stores, the sight of something shining under the light caught Lucy's attention and her mouth quickly hung open.

Rushing into the store, she quickly found what had caught her attention and stared wide-eyed at them. On the counter were golden keys, each unique in shape and had their own symbol on them, representing one of the twelve zodiac signs. Only ten keys were left out of the twelve and Lucy knew she couldn't pass on the opportunity, so she purchased all of them- besides the missing Libra and Pisces, considering both were apparently sold out.

As the cashier put each key into their respectful boxes and carefully placed them into a plastic bag, memories filled Lucy's mind. She remembered she and her mother would sit on their highest balcony and stare at the stars. Lucy would stare at her mother, completely absorbed in the woman's beauty under the moonlight and adoring her seemingly endless intelligence. The blonde child couldn't help but fall in love with the stars as well.

"Here you go, have a nice day!" the female cashier said as she handed Lucy her bag.

"Thanks, you too!" the blonde replied. Looking around the store, Lucy found that it was full of wonderful trinkets and decided to look for something for Mira.

The store was relatively small and was full of merchandise and it didn't help that many people were crowded inside as well. Apparently it was the most popular shop on the street, despite the fact that it was overly cramped. Lucy browsed the aisles slowly and carefully, taking notice of anything that could be a good gift for Mira. Finally, her eyes landed on a beautiful hair clip that was adorned with different colored jewels. Remembering that the secretary clipped her bangs up and had long, gorgeous hair, the blonde figured it was a great gift. Reaching for the clip, she was surprised when a hand had accidentally grabbed her own.

"S-Sorry!" Lucy said as she retracted her hand from the warm touch of the other person, who apparently also wanted the hair clip.

"Oh, it's cool. You can have it if you want," he replied.

He was taller than Lucy and was well-built, which was made obvious by the fact that he wore an open vest with nothing underneath, his abs in plain view. Lucy's face turned pink immediately and she tried to keep her attention on anything but his six-pack and focused on his eyes instead. They were a deep onyx color, one that she had never seen before, making Lucy's breath hitch. However, his most unique trait he had was the ruffled pink hair on his head.

"Th-Thanks," Lucy finally sputtered in reply. "But if you need it more feel free to take it. I'm just shopping for someone and I'm sure I'll find something else. I'm sure your girlfriend would like this!"

The boy chuckled as he asked, "What makes you think I'm shopping for a girlfriend?"

"Well, it's a bejeweled hair clip. I highly doubt it's for you. Besides, the green gems wouldn't look good with your pink hair anyways."

"Oi! First of all, it's _salmon._ Second of all, it would so look good! See?" The boy then took the hair clip and put it in his hair. The two then shared a laugh, which resulted in them crying from laughter. "Anyways, it's not for a girlfriend or anything, just a friend. I'm sure I'll find something else too, so don't worry about it and just take it."

The two smiled at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Lucy finally broke the silence.

"Thanks," she said, taking the clip from his hair. Something stirred inside of her as she realized the close proximity of the two and felt the softness of his pink locks. She wanted to spend more time with him. "I-I can help you find something for your friend if you want. That's what this clip is for anyways. Apparently I'm good at this stuff."

"Wow, what a coincidence! I sent my friend looking for a gift for my friend too! It wouldn't hurt to have another helper though. C'mon, let's go look!" the boy replied, taking the girl's hand and leading her towards the cash register so she could purchase the clip.

Lucy did so quickly and followed the boy out the store without a second thought. Something about him made her trust him, though she should have known better. The two then entered the store next to the one they were just in.

" _I guess I should tell Natsu that I found something for Mira,"_ Lucy thought as she texted her new friend. After sending the text, the girl looked around the store to see kitchenware neatly placed on counters in the store.

"An appliance store?" Lucy asked. "You aren't going to find anything in here unless she's into cooking."

The boy next to her was currently on his phone as he replied, "Exactly! I know she loves to cook, so I figured this would be a good place to find something! Looks like my friend found something too, but I should buy something just in case. Wouldn't want to make her do all the work."

Lucy giggled and replied, "That makes sense."

The two searched throughout the store, occasionally joking about things or people around. The pink-haired boy managed to make kitchen appliances interesting with the jokes he made. Lucy was definitely a fan of him at this point.

"You said she likes cooking, right?" Lucy asked as she found something.

"Yeah, why?" he replied, walking up to her.

"How about you get her this?"

Lucy turned around the face the boy with a giant cookbook in her hands. Inside were recipes she had never seen or heard of and made her mouth water with how delicious they looked. Surely somebody that loved cooking would enjoy a cookbook with new recipes to try out.

"That's perfect!" the pink-haired boy shouted as he snatched the book and ran towards the cash register to purchase it.

As they exited the store, both done buying gifts for their friends, Lucy felt her stomach rumble and she was instantly reminded of the fact she needed to go grocery shopping.

"Oh, shoot. I should get going now. I have to buy groceries. I recently moved into my apartment and only have cereal left," she announced sadly. Her time with the stranger had been one of the best days of her life.

"I'll go with you!" the boy replied with a wide smile. "After all, you did help me find something for your friend, I can help carry your groceries home."

Lucy returned the smile with an even brighter one and the two were happily on their way towards the store.

* * *

"Why the hell would I need seven bottles of hot sauce!?" Lucy yelled as they shopped for groceries.

"Look, it's on sale!" the boy shouted back. "Buy six get one free! It's amazing!"

"I would never need even _two_ bottles of hot sauce."

"Then you're cooking wrong!"

"Oh, shut up!"

The boy laughed maniacally as he placed the bottles into the basket and ran away. Lucy sighed but couldn't deny the happiness she was feeling. She had never had so much fun before. Even the day in the arcade couldn't compete with what she was feeling simply grocery shopping with a complete stranger. Too bad it would all end soon and they would never see each other again.

Once they finished shopping, the two walked back towards Lucy's apartment, the pink-haired boy carrying all of the bags. Lucy listened and laughed as he shared stories about his time in school. Apparently his best friend was recently reprimanded for freezing his teacher's glasses in an experiment. The blonde couldn't help but be reminded of Gray.

The walk to her apartment was rather short and the two made their way to her door.

"I guess I can carry all my stuff inside now. Thanks for the help," she said with a sad smile on her face.

"Don't be stupid. I gotta help put it away," the boy replied, his own smile bright and eager. "You can make it up to me by making me dinner!"

"Ugh, you're so annoying. I can't believe I let you follow me around today," Lucy said, though the giggle that escaped her lips made it clear she was feeling the complete opposite of what she said.

Once the two unpacked all of the groceries and put them where they belonged, Lucy began to make beef and vegetable stew while the boy eagerly shared more stories, making her laugh even more. After she finished, the girl handed a bowl towards her new friend and was surprised to watch him pour almost half a bottle of hot sauce into his own bowl. He practically inhaled the food.

"You act as if you haven't eaten in days!" Lucy exclaimed, shocked to see that he had finished his bowl in a matter of seconds. "Sheesh, now I see why you told me to buy so much hot sauce!"

"It's the most important ingredient!" the boy shouted back in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Sure, sure. Anyways, it's getting pretty late and I have homework to do. I'm afraid I've got to kick you out now."

"Lame. You should just do it later."

"Whatever, I'm a good student, unlike you and your friend."

The boy scowled as he walked toward the door and replied, "As if that ice idiot is my friend."

Lucy burst into a fit of laughter as she said, "Sorry, you two just remind me of these two guys I know! Anyways, it was really fun hanging out with you. I hope your friend likes the cookbook."

"And I hope your friend's friend likes the hair clip."

With that said, the boy reluctantly left the apartment, leaving Lucy feeling deflated after such a fun day. She had clicked so well with that boy, it was sad she never even got his name.

" _It's probably for the best."_

Just then, she felt her phone ring with texts from the group chat.

 **Cana:** What has everyone been up to today? I've been so freaking bored. My dad won't leave me alone about going fishing with him.

 **Gray:** Maybe you should go with him instead of drinking.

 **Cana:** As if!

 **Erza:** I've been finishing up my homework. I hope you all have been doing the same.

 **Cana:** Of course!

 **Levy:** I was hanging out with Gajeel today! Get this, he took me on a date!

 **Cana:** OOOH you better give us the details tomorrow!

 **Gray:** Who knew that guy had it in him to go on a date?

 **Levy:** Well, I asked him. But still! It was awesome!

 **Lucy:** I'm so proud of you Levy-chan! Looks like my plan worked! ;)

 **Levy:** Lu-chan! What have you been up to today!?

 **Lucy:** Natsu made me go shopping for Mira. I actually had a fun time though. I met this guy and we hung out like all day. He just left my place. Too bad I never got his name or anything.

 **Levy:** YOU TALKED TO A BOY!? ON YOUR OWN!? AND YOU DIDN'T ASK HIM OUT!?

 **Cana:** Did you get laid at least before he left?

 **Lucy:** Of course not. We were just hanging out as friends. And why would I ask out a complete stranger!?

 **Natsu:** Whoa how weird! I just got home from dropping off a girl I just met today!

 **Gray:** Wait a sec. Don't tell me…

 **Erza:** How interesting

 **Levy:** Oh Lu-chan…

 **Cana:** These two are so dumb

Lucy raised a brow at the last four texts in the group chat but simply shrugged it off, assuming it was just their typical weird behavior. Just then, she remembered the hairclip she bought and decided to text Natsu separately about it.

"You never replied when I told you I bought Mira something," she typed out.

"Sorry, I was distracted buying my own thing for Mira! Didn't want you doing all the work!"

" _That sounds oddly familiar…"_ Lucy thought, though she simply shrugged it off.

"Why don't we send each other pictures of what we got her then?" Lucy asked.

"Sure!"

The blonde girl went to retrieve her gift for the secretary when her phone vibrated. Looking at the lit up screen, her brown eyes widened and her jaw dropped in complete shock. In the text from Natsu was none other than a picture of a thick cookbook next to a blue cat. It was finally coming together in her head.

" _There's no way…"_

Quickly typing on the keyboard, Lucy quickly texted back, "Natsu, is your hair pink by any chance?"

Lucy immediately felt relieved when she received a text that read, "No."

However, soon after she received another text that read, "It's salmon. Why?"

Lucy sighed. Sure, she wanted to hang out with the stranger more, but she was definitely not expecting him to be Natsu. Not to mention the fact that she was having so much fun teasing him about not meeting him. Reluctantly, the girl sent a picture of the hairclip.

" _There's no way he won't figure it out with this…"_

Just then, her phone started ringing. Lucy answered it and was instantly met with Natsu's voice.

"Yo, Luce!" he exclaimed into the phone. "This is so weird, the girl I met today just bought the last of those exact hairclips!"

Lucy wanted to yell at him for his stupidity but instead asked, "Oh yeah? Was she blonde and pretty?"

"Yeah, how did you know that!?"

The blonde ignored the racing of her heart when Natsu admitted she was pretty and instead answered, "Because that was me, you idiot."

"What do you mean?"

"That was me! I bought the hairclip and then we went and bought the cookbook and went grocery shopping and you came back with me to my apartment and ate spicy stew! Gosh you are so stupid for not figuring this out!"

There was silence until… "Are you serious!? That was you!?"

"Yep."

Natsu then cackled and replied, "Looks like we were destined to meet whether you wanted to or not, Luce!"

"Whatever, I'm going to bed, stupid."

"Alright. Night, Luce!"

"Goodnight, Natsu."

With that, Lucy ended the call and laughed to herself. That definitely was not how she imagined meeting Natsu, but it was no doubt the best day of her life. As the girl laid in bed, she quickly felt her eyes drooping closed as she traveled into the world of slumber, waiting excitedly for the next day so she can talk to the boy that made her the happiest she had been in a long time.

 **AN:** I actually really liked this chapter so I hope you guy did too haha! :D

 **FireShifter:** As you can see, their rough start did turn into one of friendship just like you said :D Thanks for the review!

 **Sidjr100:** Thank you so much! :)

 **FairyDancerHeartfilia:** I'm not sure if you meant to just review ":" but thanks anyways haha :D


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Oh, I like this chapter! Hope you guys do too! :D

Chapter 6

Lucy woke up Monday morning with a loud yawn and relaxing stretch. After an eventful weekend, the blonde wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and actually get some sleep. After all, once she realized she had met Natsu unknowingly, sleep was the last thing she did that night. Despite all of her efforts, she had only been able to sleep for roughly three hours before waking up for an event of tossing and turning throughout the night, wondering what was next for her and her new friend.

" _I can't believe he was actually in my apartment,"_ Lucy thought as she popped a piece of bread into her toaster. " _Why the hell did I even let some stranger into my apartment anyways?"_

Lucy knew why. It was because of how safe she had felt with him. She felt so happy and relaxed. Most of all, she felt _free._ The pink-haired boy- who she now knows was Natsu- made her feel like she was a person. That she wasn't just a bag of money or some prized possession, but a real person with real feelings. She felt as if she had known him for years, and that was why she let him into her apartment.

" _I can't believe I doubted Natsu in the first place. He clearly knew nothing about who I was."_

Taking her toast, Lucy spread her favorite strawberry jam over it and popped it into her mouth, clenching carefully onto it with her teeth so as not to drop it while she slipped on her shoes. Retrieving her school bag, the blonde gave one last look at the apartment to make sure she didn't forget anything before nodding and leaving. Locking the door, the girl turned around and was going to begin her walk to school when she bumped into something hard, dropping her toast in the process. Looking up with a scowl on her face- after all, she had just lost her breakfast- Lucy was surprised to find a pink-haired boy grinning at her, dressed in the same school uniform as she was, though it was the male version of course.

"N-Natsu!?" she shrieked, taking a step back, her back leaning against the door. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Nice to see ya too, Luce!" the boy replied, ruffling the blonde's hair. "Let's walk to school together!"

"No way, you creep! You can't just wait outside of people's apartments like that! What are you, a stalker?"

Natsu scoffed as he took Lucy's book bag into his own hand and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm not a stalker! I just thought that since we don't have any classes together I would walk you so that we could talk!"

"Talk about what?" Lucy asked, following Natsu down the stairs and towards the road so that they could walk to school.

"I don't know, anything. We talked a lot yesterday, why not do it again?"

"I didn't know it was you then!"

"Well now you do!" Natsu exclaimed, followed by unending laughter.

Lucy swore his laughter was contagious as she found a smile creeping to her lips and giggles escaping her mouth. "I guess we were destined to meet after all."

"Yep! Anyways, I have a question for you," Natsu said in a more serious tone.

"What is it?"

"Wanna come with me to Mira's birthday party? It would make sense if you came considering you picked out _both_ of the presents. Everyone else is going to be there too."

Lucy clasped her hands behind her back as she contemplated it. "When is it?"

"Saturday!"

"This Saturday?"

"Yep!"

"Can't."

Natsu stared at the girl with a disappointed look on his face. He truly wasn't expecting her to say no. Was it because they just met? Did she actually think he was a stalker or something? Staring at the girl next to him, he could see the corners of her lips tugged downwards in a frown and he could even see her shoulders slouched slightly.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

Lucy's eyes shot open and she whipped her head towards Natsu. "N-Nothing is wrong. What makes you think something is wrong?"

"It's obvious you are upset or something. Is it because I asked? You don't have to go or anything if you don't-"

"It's not that. I do want to go. It's just that I… have plans Saturday."

Natsu was unsure if he should drop it or continue to pester her. Even though they had only been talking not even a week, he had already discovered that Lucy was a private person. Perhaps more private than him. Yet at the same time, it seemed like she just needed someone to talk to and just hasn't found the right person to share her secrets with. Thus, the boy decided to continue questioning her.

"What kind of plans?" he asked, noticing the way her hands tightened around each other.

"Just stuff," Lucy answered vaguely.

"Is it gonna take up the whole day?"

"Probably."

While Natsu was deadly curious as to what these mystery plans were, he decided to drop it for now considering that the school was in sight and he wanted to end their conversation on a happy note before class.

"Did you finish those bottles of hot sauce yet?" he asked, a smirk dancing upon his lips.

"Of course not, we just bought them yesterday and you made me buy _seven_ bottles!" Lucy answered, playfully hitting him on the upper arm.

"I didn't think you would be such a wuss when it came to spicy food!" Natsu said, laughing as the blonde continuously hit him. "I _guess_ I can come over after school and let you cook for me so that you can finish the bottles quicker."

"As if I would let you into my apartment again," Lucy said, though the smile on her face betrayed her words.

The two stopped outside of Lucy's classroom as Natsu handed the girl her book bag. The two shared a smile before she walked into the classroom. She turned around and gave him one last wave before going to the back of the classroom to sit next to Loke. Natsu felt something inside of his stomach stir as he watched the two talk, but shrugged it off. Turning around, he was surprised to bump into the scariest red-head in all of the land.

"Erza? You have this class with Lucy?" Natsu asked, picking up the book he accidentally made her drop so as to not feel her wrath.

"Yes I do," Erza answered, taking back the book with a nod. "I see that you two have finally met."

"Yeah, yesterday."

"What do you think about her? Gray informed me that the two of you got off on a rocky start."

Natsu made a mental note to kick Gray's ass later for telling Erza about that before replying, "Yeah, we did. But we are all good now. I think she's weird!"

Erza gave a small smile and chuckled. "Yes, she is quite interesting."

The two nodded their heads in goodbye before going their separate ways. Erza walked towards the back of the class and took her seat by Lucy, listening to the conversation she was sharing with Loke. The red-head watched as Lucy filled the room with her sweet laughter.

" _It seems she can become friends with everyone as long as they can get her to talk to them,"_ Erza thought, a quaint smile on her lips.

"Good morning, Erza!" the council president heard from besides her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Good morning, Lucy," she replied. "I see you and Loke are getting close."

"Huh? Oh, yeah! It turns out I actually _knew_ him when I was a kid!" Lucy exclaimed as Loke came from behind and slung an arm around her shoulder.

Erza's eyes widened as her jaw dropped on its hinges. "W-What?"

"Loke's parents used to work for my parents when we were both really young!" the blonde informed her. "We used to play together all the time! Gosh, Loke! That was _so_ long ago! I can't believe you recognized me!"

The orange-haired womanizer smirked as he replied, "I knew there was something familiar about you, Princess."

"I forgot you used to call me that all the time! Why exactly did you move anyways?"

Just then, Wakaba entered the classroom, signaling that class was to begin.

Loke leaned towards Lucy and whispered, "I'll tell you everything after school, okay?"

The blonde leaned back and whispered in reply, "Yeah, that's fine. I have something I need to ask of you anyways."

Erza heard the quiet exchange from the right of her and couldn't deny her curiosity. In the end, she shrugged it off, knowing that if the blonde wanted her to know, she would tell her. All that was needed was patience when it came to Lucy after all.

* * *

Lucy's next two classes went by rather quickly and she found herself walking towards the library with Levy. Just then, something rough knocked into her back and latched onto her, causing the blonde to shriek in surprise. Turning her head, she found a mop of pink hair on her shoulder.

"Natsu," she seethed, "what the hell do you think you are doing?"

Natsu unleashed the girl and shrugged. "Let's eat lunch together, Luce! The others are probably already there."

"Nope. I'm eating lunch with Levy-chan in the library!"

"Is that where you've been the past week?" Natsu asked Levy, who nodded in response.

"Yep! Decided to eat with Lu-chan! C'mon, Lu-chan! Let's eat with the others! Not like we need the extra time to work on homework anyways, I know we'll get it done," Levy said, grabbing her best friend's hand and dragging her towards the cafeteria.

Lucy groaned as she felt the weight of her school bag disappear as Natsu took it once again. "You don't need to carry my bag, you know."

"I don't care, I'm going to anyways," Natsu replied with a wide grin.

"I actually prefer to carry it myself."

"But-"

"Natsu Dragneel, give me back my bag right now," Lucy said as she extended her arm towards the boy. Natsu scowled but reluctantly did as he was told.

A smile appeared on his face again as he said, "You're a weirdo, Luce."

Lucy then bombarded the pink-haired boy with playful hits, to which he ran away from while cackling. The two ran throughout the cafeteria, ignoring the weird looks they were getting from other students. It wasn't until Gray held out his foot to trip Natsu when they finally stopped. Lucy took his fall to her advantage and began playfully nudging him with her foot.

"Get up, dork," she said with a grin.

Natsu got up and stuck his tongue out at her before taking his seat besides Erza. Lucy was going to sit on the opposite side of the table in between Levy and Gray when a warm hand lightly gripped her wrist and forced her to sit down. Lucy didn't even have to look to know that it was Natsu.

"Want her all to yourself, huh?" Gray asked with a smirk, amused at what he just saw.

"I just don't want her catching your stupidity," Natsu answered.

This of course riled up the dark-haired boy and the two were quickly bashing heads and throwing endless insults at each other. That is, until Erza knocked them both upside their heads to shut them up. Natsu rubbed the soon-to-be bruised spot with a scowl on his face.

"That's what you get for picking fights," Lucy said with an innocent tone.

Natsu was about to retort something but instead grinned mischievously at the girl. He then eyed her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which did not go unnoticed by the blonde.

"What, do you want some?" Lucy asked. She split the sandwich in half and handed it to her friend.

Natsu's evil smile never wavered as he took the sandwich, separated the pieces of bread, and stuck them to both of her cheeks. His laughter filled the cafeteria and tears slid down his face. Even the others at the table couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"It's a Lucy sandwich!" Natsu exclaimed, slapping his knees while he laughed. Eventually, the boy's laughter died down and he wiped the tears away and waited for his friend's reaction.

Lucy sat still, stunned at what had happened. Then, an innocent and gentle smile made its way upon her lips, surprising everyone at the table. The very next second, Natsu was on the floor as Lucy was on top of him, punching him hard and yelling curse words at him. Sweat dropped from everyone at the table as they discovered that Lucy was just as scary as Erza when pushed to her limit.

Once the little show was over, Gray coughed nervously and stuttered, "S-So, Miss Lucy. How are you?"

Lucy plopped heavily onto the seat with a grunt as she answered, "Shut it, Gray or else you're next." Even Juvia didn't say anything in his defense, not wanting to deal with the blonde's newfound wrath.

Natsu whined as he crawled and made his way back to his seat. "Luuuucy, what'd you do that for?"

"For being an idiot!"

The pink-haired boy chuckled as he removed the pieces of bread off of her face and stuck them back together. He then took a bite out of the sandwich.

"It's still good!" he said, earning a giggle from the previously mad girl.

"Looks like you'll be needing this," Lucy heard a familiar voice say from behind her.

Turning around, she found that it was her childhood friend, Loke. He was holding out napkins with a playful smile on his lips.

"Thanks, Loke. At least I can count on you for not being an idiot," she said as she gratefully accepted the napkins and wiped away the remnants of the peanut butter and jelly on her cheeks. "Hey, meet me outside the math classroom so we could go to my place!"

"Your wish is my command, Princess," Loke said as he took Lucy's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "Anyways, my other princesses are waiting for me, I must go back to them! Later!"

Natsu sat disgusted at what he just witnessed. "Why is Loke going to your place after school?"

Lucy shrugged as she answered, "We have some stuff to talk about and catching up to do."

"You guys know each other?" Gray asked.

"Yep! He's my childhood friend actually."

Natsu was about to question his new friend when his own childhood friend appeared, standing beside Lucy and being followed by Cana. Lucy felt somebody's presence behind her and turned around to find a girl with beautiful blue eyes staring at her curiously. When the girl with silver pixie-styled hair found Lucy looking back at her, she gave a gentle smile.

"Natsu, who's this?" Lisanna finally asked, sitting beside Lucy while Cana sat next to her.

"Hey, Lisanna! This is Lucy!" Natsu answered, ruffling the blonde's hair in the process.

Lisanna looked back at Lucy and smiled once again. "It's nice to meet you, Lucy! How exactly do you know Natsu?"

Lucy smiled back as she answered, "I met her through Erza and Levy-chan."

The two girls then continued to talk and get to know each other- or at least what Lucy was willing to tell. The blonde found that she enjoyed talking to the silver-haired girl. She found her to be pleasant and kind, just like the rest of the school she was quickly falling in love with. Finally, the bell rang and it was time for their next class.

The rest of Lucy's classes went by with a blur and she found herself standing outside of Wakaba's classroom waiting for Loke. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as she found the boy approaching her, followed by many of his fangirls. He kindly shooed them away and held out an arm for the blonde, which she happily accepted. The two hooked arms and were on their way towards Lucy's apartment.

It was a short walk and Loke found himself gaping outside of Lucy's apartment.

"This is it?" he asked as he took in the size of it. "Is it bigger on the inside?"

Lucy laughed lightly as she answered, "Nope! This is it!"

"Wow, to think you went from a mansion to a tiny apartment boggles my mind."

"Hey, my apartment is very cute! Look!"

With that, she was leading the way up the concrete steps and towards the front door. She inserted the keys and quickly unlocked it. Swinging the door open, the blonde looked back towards her companion, waiting for his reaction.

"Tada!" Lucy exclaimed. "Isn't it nice?"

Loke let his eyes roam around the apartment for a matter of mere seconds before his eyes landed on something that caused his eyes to widen. He then smiled and shook his head.

"Your apartment is pretty nice," he started, still smiling, "though I must admit it is weird to find Natsu here."

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned, not quite understanding. Turning around, she found Natsu sitting on her couch with a mischievous smile on his face. "Natsu, what the hell are you doing in here!?" Lucy asked, though she didn't give him time to answer before she lunged at him and delivered a Lucy Kick.

"Ouch, Luce! I just wanted to surprise you at home, sheesh!" Natsu said, rubbing his jaw and picking himself off of the floor. "Besides, not like I would leave you alone with Loke."

"And what exactly is wrong with being alone with Loke? It's not like _he_ broke into my place and waited for me! You really are a stalker! Look, just get out already! We have stuff to talk about!"

"You promised to make me food after school!" Natsu argued.

"No I didn't! You just assumed that I would!"

Lucy noticed the flash of disappointment spread across Natsu's face as he lifted himself off of the couch. Her own face relaxed from the anger. She found that it was impossible to stay mad at Natsu when he made such a sad face.

"Look," Lucy started in a calmer tone, "Loke and I have important stuff to discuss. Why don't you come back here for dinner?"

"I don't wanna leave you alone with some guy, Lucy," Natsu said, ignoring the glares he received from Loke.

"Loke isn't some guy, Natsu. Besides, you are a boy too but I've been alone with you. Since you are so worried, how about you stay out here while Loke and I go to my room and talk?"

The pink-haired boy grunted, still not satisfied with the two of them being alone in Lucy's room, but he knew this was the best he was going to get. Thus, he plopped back onto the couch and turned on the TV, shooing the two away as he clicked through the channels. When they disappeared into the room, a thought suddenly popped into Natsu's head as he looked around the small apartment.

" _Where are Lucy's parents?"_

* * *

Lucy sat on the edge of the bed, followed by Loke who sat next to her.

"So, why exactly did you leave the mansion?" Lucy asked in a hushed tone so that the boy in the other room wouldn't hear her. "It was all so sudden. One day we were playing in the front yard and the next you were gone."

"I'm not sure how to tell you this…" Loke started, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "You see, your father actually kicked us out."

"He what!?" Lucy yelled, temporarily forgetting to keep her voice low. "S-Sorry, I guess I shouldn't be surprised about that. Why exactly did he do that?"

Loke chuckled as he answered, "I guess it's not proper for a noble girl to play in the dirt with some maid's son. I heard about what happened with Jude… How are you?"

Lucy sighed as she leaned her head onto Loke's shoulder for support. "So you heard that he worked himself to death huh? It's crazy. After my mother passed away and he turned cold, I thought I hated him. Last year, something happened that forced us to make amends and I guess we found the love for each other that was lost. Then he passed away in his sleep."

Lucy was surprised that tears were not streaming down her face and instead were easily blinked away. Loke ran his fingers through her blonde locks of hair, pitying the girl.

"So, Princess, what exactly did you have to say to me?" he asked, though he had a feeling of what she was going to say.

"Oh, right. I was wondering if you could not tell them about the whole _rich_ thing. They already know that we are childhood friends and stuff, just leave out the mansion and the wealth, okay?" Lucy answered, lifting her head from his shoulder.

"I see you're still having a hard time trusting people."

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all." Loke then stood up and stretched, heading towards the door. "I should get going back to my parents. I can't wait to tell them Lucy Heartfilia goes to my school and is living life as a normal teenage girl now." He held the door open for the blonde to exit first, then followed her out.

Lucy then returned the favor by opening the front door for him and waved as he left. "Goodbye, Loke! Tell your parents I say hi!"

Closing and locking the door, Lucy completely forgot that Natsu was there waiting for her until she turned around and was face to face with him. They were in such close proximities, she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"Lucy," he started in a serious tone, "where are your parents?"

 **AN:** I actually loved this chapter haha I found it cute! :D Anyways, please review to keep me motivated! :)

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Yes they were hahaha! i'm glad you enjoyed it like I did! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** Omg thank you so much! I'm so happy everyone seemed to find it as funny as I did haha!

 **FairyDancerHeartfilia:** Omg haha I never even noticed that! Can't blame her though when she was having so much fun with Natsu! :D

 **Sidjr100:** Thank you so much I'm glad you are enjoying the story!

 **Alexa60765:** Omg hello! :D You made an account! :D THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHECKING OUT MY OTHER NALU STORY! I think I like Better Together more, but I think this one is cute too so I hope you like this story as well! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Not much nalu fluff this chapter but important nonetheless! :) Please review as always :)

Chapter 7

"Lucy," he started in a serious tone, "where are your parents?"

Lucy froze at Natsu's words. Her parents? Why would he want to know about that? Then again, she supposed it was a bit peculiar that a teen was living in an apartment with no signs of anyone else living with her. Nonetheless, it was still a question that she was not comfortable answering with someone she had just met.

"That is none of your concern, Natsu," the blonde simply answered as she went to walk by him. That is, until a familiar warm hand wrapped gently around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Do you live here alone?" Natsu persisted. "There wasn't anyone here last night either."

"Why does it matter to you?" Lucy asked in a harsh tone as she pried her hand away from Natsu's.

The pink-haired boy took a step towards her, to which the blonde stepped back. Natsu sighed, reaching down and grabbing her hand once again. Lucy tried to tug her hand away but it was to no avail. The warm hand clasping her own was not letting go. Natsu then stepped towards her once again. They were so close, Lucy's breath hitched in her throat at the touch of Natsu's breath against her skin. An unfamiliar warmth traveled to her cheeks and the pit of her stomach.

"Why do you have to be so secretive?" he finally said in a hushed tone that made Lucy's body quiver. "I was wondering because I never had anyone relate to me."

"Relate?" Lucy questioned, her brown eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

"You live by yourself, don't you?"

Lucy nodded despite her better judgement and continued to gaze into her friend's eyes. Brown bore into onyx for what seemed like an eternity.

"That's what I meant," he said. "None of my friends live by themselves. They all have someone to keep them company."

Lucy gulped as she struggled to find words. Lamely, she replied, "At least you have Happy."

Natsu chuckled. "You're right about that. Wanna talk about it?"

The blonde sighed as she led the way towards her couch and landed with a heavy plop. "You know, you really aren't as dense as I thought."

Playfully nudging the girl beside him, Natsu replied, "Thanks. So what's your story?"

"Don't have one."

"Oh c'mon, Luce. Here, why don't we make a deal?" Before the blonde could interrupt, Natsu continued. "We can make it into a game to make it easier. You can ask a question, then I'll ask a question."

Lucy was undoubtedly curious and wanted to know more about her friend but she remained hesitant. She wasn't ready for anyone to find out that she was wealthy or about her relationship with her dad. All she wanted was to forget the past and live for the future. However, she knew she couldn't run from it forever. All of the relationships she had built since coming to Fairy Tail High were built on secrets. If the girl wanted something real, they would have to truly know her. Which Natsu seemed to understand.

"Fine," the girl finally said with a lengthy sigh.

"Alright, I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouted, raising a fist into the air. A sense of pride erupted in him when he heard his newest friend giggle at his actions. "Ask me something!"

"Okay…" Lucy started, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Where is your mother?"

"Don't have one. I was adopted when I was younger." Now it was Natsu's turn. "Who pays the rent here?"

"Huh? That's what you have to ask?" Seeing the boy's nod, she shrugged and answered. "I do. Where's your adoptive father then?"

"I don't know. I was waiting in our house for him to get off work one day and he never came back." Natsu noticed sorry sweep through Lucy's brown eyes. He never liked to talk about his father, but a sense of relief filled his body after he did. He felt undeniably closer to her. "Where's your parents?"

Lucy bit her lip as tears made their way into her brown orbs as she painfully answered, "Dead. My mother died of illness when I was younger and my father passed away a few months ago from working too much. Do you get lonely at your place?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm sure you do too. What is it like having two parents?"

"To be honest, I don't think I have the answer to that. When I was little everything was great and we were all happy, but after my mom's passing everything changed. I guess you could say that I look a lot like my mother and my dad was too pained by it. So he did everything he could to separate us. He became cold and distant and he tried to arrange my marriage a countless number of times. I hated him for the longest time. But then it got better. Have you ever tried looking for your biological parents?"

"Nope. Don't need them. I have tried looking for Igneel though. Oh, that's my dad. How did things get better between you and your dad? Seemed like things were really rough so it's just surprising."

"Well, someone took me hostage and I guess when I heard my dad screaming and crying for me I realized he loved me. After that, we had a long discussion and we forgave each other for everything. We were getting so close… and then I lost him too. Are you ever curious as to who your birth parents are?"

"…It's not so much as who they are but why they gave me up. But I'm glad they did because I got to meet Igneel and live with him for a while! Anyways, why were you taken hostage?"

Lucy frowned at the question. She definitely did not want to let anyone know about her wealth. After all, so many people had used her for it. The people at her old school pretended to like her in an attempt to get some of her money. Not like they needed it though, considering their own parents were loaded as well. Then she found out that their parents actually _told_ them to get closer to her to better their relationship with her father.

She didn't want the same to happen at her new school with her new life. She wanted people to like her for _her._ Not her money. Yet, there was something about Natsu that made her want to let down her walls. His eyes held such sincerity and his voice was soothing in ways that she had never known before. Something about him made her trust him. After all, he had just shared some of his own painful memories, why not enlighten him of her secret?

"My dad is Jude Heartfilia," Lucy finally answered. Seeing the confused look on Natsu's face, she continued. "Jude Heartfilia? The owner of all of the railroads throughout Fiore? Are you telling me you've never heard him?"

Natsu shrugged and gave a sheepish smile as he replied, "I've actually got some bad motion sickness, so anything related to vehicles I tend to steer clear from. Anyways, what does that have to do with anything?"

"My dad is one of the top ten wealthiest men in all of Fiore. That's why I was taken hostage."

Natsu blinked once. Then twice. "Wait, so you're rich?"

Lucy frowned as she thought, " _Here it comes…"_

The pink-haired boy then asked, "If you're rich, why do you live in this cruddy apartment and go to our school?"

The blonde hit her friend lightly for his jab at her apartment. "My apartment is not cruddy! Anyways, I just always wanted to be a normal girl. I am tired of being Lucky Lucy, the girl with the money. I just want a normal life with normal people. That's why I came here. I figured I could keep it a secret and live happily. Yet _someone_ had to be nosy."

"Yeah, yeah. You aren't Lucky Lucy. You're just Luce." Natsu noticed the way the blonde's eyes lit up at his words and he ruffled her hair. "Is that why you were so persistent on meeting me?"

Lucy awkwardly chuckled as she answered, "Yeah, I'm sorry about all that by the way."

"Don't worry about it! I know just how you can make it up to me!"

"How?"

"Making me dinner! I'm starving!"

With that, Natsu stood up with a stretch as he gave Lucy the widest grin he could muster. Reaching towards her, he helped the girl get up from the couch. His heart jumped at the feeling of her hand atop of his, making him quickly retract his own hand. He stared at it in wonder as a warm feeling erupted in the pit of his stomach.

" _What the hell was that?"_ he wondered.

"Natsu? Earth to Natsu?" Lucy said, waving her dainty hand in front of his face.

"H-Huh?" Natsu asked, brought out of his thoughts. Seeing Lucy's face right in front of his own made his blush further deepen despite his efforts to retain the warmth in his cheeks. "F-Food! I'm starving! Make me something to eat, Luce!"

"Yeah, yeah. Is spaghetti good for you?"

"Yeah, I don't care."

"Good because that's all I'm making."

Lucy then waltzed into her kitchen, unaware of the onyx eyes boring into her retreating figure. Natsu watched as her long, golden locks of hair swayed side to side effortlessly while her long, creamy legs moved with such grace. Of course he noticed her curves, who wouldn't?

" _She's pretty cute. Oh well."_

Natsu shook his head and rid himself of the thoughts that were rising about his friend. Instead, he walked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, watching as she gathered all of the ingredients needed.

"Can I help make it?" he asked with eager eyes.

Lucy giggled and nodded her head. "There's not much to do though. Just boiling noodles for the most part."

"That's fine!"

Lucy shrugged as she pointed towards a large pot. "Fill that with water and boil it."

Natsu did as he was told and filled the pot about three quarters of the way and turned on the stove. He was about to place the pot onto the stove when the flicking of fire caught his eye. Taking a quick glance at Lucy to make sure she wasn't looking, he focused his attention on the orange fire in front of him. Every couple of seconds the fire would flick above the metal plate above it. Finally, the boy slowly put his fingers above the fire and reached towards it. It was hot against his skin- obviously- but he relished in the feeling. That is until…

"NATSU WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Lucy screeched, causing him to drop the pot of water onto the floor. All of the liquid poured onto the hardwood floor and even made its way towards the carpet. "Ugh you idiot! Look what you did! Clean it up!"

"But Lucy-"

"Clean. It. Up."

"A-Aye!"

Lucy sighed as she retrieved another pot and filled it with water. Placing it onto the stove, the girl turned back around to face Natsu. He was currently using his scarf as a headband and was on his knees soaking up the water with a nearby towel. Granted, it was a nice towel that Lucy didn't appreciate being used on the floor. The blonde shook it off though. She could always buy more nonetheless.

Lucy smiled as she watched him wipe up the mess. He was so childish, it gave the girl a sense of fun that she hadn't had during her childhood besides the times she played with Loke. But even then, those were always so short. Her times with Natsu were unlimited. After all, neither had parents and lived alone and lived by their own rules. The fun was unending with him.

The blonde then admired the way his tanned arms were toned to the right amount of perfection. She remembered when she met him the prior day and relished in the memory of his abs. Then her gaze landed on his pink locks of hair. She had to admit, the way the scarf made his hair look when it was used as a headband was no doubt attractive. While yes, pink is an unconventional hair color and she had never expected to like it, she found herself thinking it was fitting for her new friend.

" _Very fitting."_

 **AN:** Ahh, gotta love Natsu's obsession with fire! And ooh looks like these two are very slowly developing new feelings! Stick around! :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Haha thank you for the review :D

 **Sidjr100:** Well now you know! :D Thanks for another review :)

 **Dark Mystique:** Thank you so much I'll try my best! :D

 **Fairyfan8:** Chapter 5: Thank you so much I found it cute too haha! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** I completely agree haha it's like they are meant to be! And yesss I love making Lucy and Loke childhood friends it just seems so fitting! Thanks for the review :D

 **Dogsrcool5:** First, I must say that yes, dogs are in fact cool. Second, thank you for the review :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you again :D I'm glad to have your support on this story as well! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** I'm glad you all are enjoying this story as it is my first AU nalu story and I'm really liking how it's turning out! :D Please keep reading and reviewing :)

Chapter 8

Three days had passed since Lucy and Natsu had their heart-to-heart discussion. That day had been so eventful for the two, they never expected to share their deepest stories with each other. But since they had, they were practically inseparable.

Every morning Lucy would find Natsu standing outside of her apartment so that they could walk to school together and every day they walked back to her place. While Levy was a dear friend to Lucy, the blonde couldn't help but admit that Natsu was quickly becoming her best friend. Not like it mattered anyways. Since her petite blue-haired friend went on the date she had asked Gajeel to, she had been too busy with him anyways.

It was now Friday morning and Lucy was waking up to the loud beeps of her alarm clock. Smashing the off button, the girl closed her eyes once again and snuggled deep into the warmth of her blanket. That is until…

"You know you really shouldn't hit your alarm clock that hard," a voice rang from beside her bed. In her bedroom. In her apartment. Which was supposedly locked.

"NATSU, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?" Lucy screeched, slamming her pillow against his head.

"Oi, calm down!" the pinkette replied, snatching the pillow away from her. "It was snowing outside so I thought I would come tell you!"

"Snowing!?" Lucy gasped as she ran past her friend and looked outside her window. Sure enough, there was a thin layer of white fluffiness that awaited her. Shooing the boy outside of her bedroom, the girl quickly threw on her uniform- which sadly was still a skirt despite the cold weather- and ran to retrieve her things.

Brushing through her long, golden mane of hair, Lucy quickly detangled it and then brushed her teeth. Throwing her bedroom door open, she then found Natsu slouching on her sofa, waiting for her. The blonde excitedly ran up to her friend and took ahold of his wrist before running back out of her apartment.

"Oi, why are you running?" Natsu asked, though there was still an eager smile plastered to his face.

"Because I've never gotten to play in the snow before!" Lucy answered.

Once the two descended the stairs, the girl stopped just before the snow. Crouching down, she poked her finger into it and relished in the cold feeling. It was only about an inch deep, but that was just enough for her. She cupped some of the white fluffiness into her hands and through it into the air above, laughing with sheer joy. Suddenly, there was a gentle plop on her head, followed by an intense freezing. Shaking her head, Lucy watched as snow fell off of her.

"Natsu, what the hell was that for!?" she yelled, hitting him on the arm.

"It's a snowball fight, Luce! Lighten up!" he answered, taking another handful of snow and making an imperfect sphere out of it. He then threw it at his friend, who was still chasing him. It landed square in her face, causing him to drop to the ground in a fit of laughter.

His laughter was cut short however when he felt a snowball him in the face. Looking at his friend, the boy found Lucy smirking at him with her hands on her hips.

" _Oh, it is on!"_

* * *

"Why were you late to class today, Lucy?" Erza asked the blonde with a mildly threatening voice.

Lucy had scampered into class nearly ten minutes late, snow covering her head. Her nose was red due to the cold. Now, it was time to work on a math worksheet, so luckily they were able to talk without getting reprimanded.

"S-Sorry, Erza," Lucy began, "Natsu and I just got distracted on the way here."

"He started a snowball fight, I presume?"

"How did you know?"

The red-head chuckled softly as she answered, "You are covered in snow. Not to mention the fact that Natsu starts snowball fights with everyone when it snows."

Lucy laughed and replied, "That sounds just like him."

"I am amazed at how close the two of you have gotten. I think you are closer to him than you are to us."

"Don't be silly, Erza! I haven't even been talking to him for a whole week!"

"That is irrelevant. You two are always talking and texting whenever you can. And he wakes up early to walk you to school. Natsu has never done that for anyone before."

Lucy could feel her cheeks gaining warmth as she considered this. It made her feel special knowing that she had been able to become so close to Natsu, perhaps even closer than the others. Something about that made the pit of her stomach feel light as a feather.

* * *

Finally the bell rang after chemistry, signaling that it was time for lunch. Lucy, Levy, Gray, and Juvia headed towards the cafeteria from their chemistry class, chatting idly about their next project. It was a week-long project in which Macao assigned everyone a partner. Lucy was paired with Gray and they were going to research the freezing points of various liquids. Juvia cried buckets when she was paired with some random boy instead of Gray. Lucy was a bit disappointed that she hadn't been paired with Levy, but was glad that she was at least with her friend.

"So I guess I'll come over Sunday then?" Gray asked as he slung an arm around the blonde's shoulder in a friendly matter.

"Sure! I'll text you my address later!" Lucy said.

As the group approached their usual lunch table, Lucy was happy to see that Natsu was already there. Her heart practically stopped when he turned his head and gave her his signature fanged grin. However, it vanished quickly as his eyes glanced towards the arm that Gray still had over her shoulder. The pinkette frowned at the sight and turned back towards Erza and began to talk to her.

" _What was that all about?"_ Lucy wondered.

Gray smirked, as he knew exactly what had upset his friend. " _Idiot."_

Lucy shrugged her shoulders, shaking Gray's arm off of her in the process. As she was going to her spot next to Natsu, she was stopped in her tracks when another of their friends sat there first.

"Natsu!" Lisanna cried out as she held onto the boy's arm. "You're gonna help me with Mira's party later, right?"

Natsu looked back at the silver-haired girl and smiled. "Yeah sure, Lisanna."

Lucy watched as the two talked with a twinge of disappointment resting in the pit of her gut. She and Lisanna had gotten close during the past week and she knew that the girl was incredibly kind. However, seeing Lisanna in _her_ spot next to Natsu left a bad taste in her mouth.

Gray smirked once more, noticing Lucy's disappointment. " _Two dense idiots."_

Taking the wrist of his blonde friend, Gray lead the way to the opposite side of Natsu at the lunch table and sat her next to Erza. He then took the seat next to Lucy, Juvia then sitting beside him. Natsu looked towards his new best friend and frowned.

"Lucy, why are you sitting over there?" he asked.

"Uhh, I don't know," the blonde lamely answered. She was going to speak to him once again until she saw Lisanna starting another conversation with him. Sighing, the girl turned her attention back towards her other friends.

"What kind of stuff are we going to be freezing by the way?" Gray asked. He was well aware of the mood Lucy was in and wanted to distract her.

"I never thought about that. Wanna hit up the supermarket before going to my place to look?"

"Gray's coming over?" Natsu chimed in, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. We got paired together for a project in chemistry," Lucy answered. She could've sworn she saw a hint of… _jealousy_ in Natsu's eyes. Shrugging it off, she continued to make plans with Gray and talked to her friends until the end of lunch.

* * *

Lucy waited by her locker. This was her and Natsu's meeting place so they could walk back to her apartment together. Ten minutes had passed and there was still no sign of her pink-headed friend. Irritated, she quickly left the building and began her lonely walk back home.

Once she got home, Lucy pulled out her phone and found that there were no texts from Natsu. Being the stubborn person she was, the girl decided not to text him first. After all, he did ditch her after school without telling her. The least he could do was text first and apologize.

Two hours had passed and Lucy still hadn't received a new text from Natsu. Worry began to seep into her mind. What if he was kidnapped? Or perhaps involved in some kind of accident? Forgetting about her previous stubbornness, the blonde typed away on her phone.

"Natsu, you okay?" she asked. "You weren't there after school by my locker."

Lucy was startled to receive a reply in a matter of mere seconds.

"I thought Gray was walking you," he replied.

"No, he's coming over Sunday! What's wrong with you? You seem upset."

"Nah, I ain't upset."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not. Just busy."

Lucy frowned at their conversation. Natsu wasn't being his cheery self, and it was really starting to dampen her mood. So, she tried to be cheery herself, figuring that if she was happy, he would follow in pursuit.

"Busy doing what? :)"

But instead…

"Setting up for Mira's party with Lisanna. I gotta go. Can I call you later?"

Lucy frowned once more. "Yeah, sure!"

Once the initial shock of Natsu's attitude disappeared, Lucy decided she would be productive so as to not think about it. Grabbing her book bag, she pulled out her homework and set to finishing all that she could. Her eyes quickly became heavy after the seventh worksheet. Checking her phone and seeing no missed calls or texts, the blonde grunted and slid into bed. If he didn't care, she wouldn't either.

Lucy's nap was much longer than she had expected. It was around six o'clock when she went to bed and now it was nearing midnight when her phone woke her up from her deep slumber. Rushing to pick it up, she was ecstatic to see that it was Natsu calling her.

" _Finally."_

Answering the phone, the girl was quickly bombarded by Natsu's loud voice.

"Yo!" he said, his cheery tone back, bringing a smile to Lucy's lips.

"Hi, Natsu," she greeted in return.

"Are you still busy tomorrow?"

"Yeah, why?"

Lucy heard Natsu sigh, then he continued, "Because I wanted you to go to Mira's birthday party with me, duh."

"Sorry, Natsu. I can't go. Maybe next year."

"Fine. Sorry for taking so long by the way. Lisanna needed a lot of help for the party."

"Oooh, Lisanna huh?" Lucy said in a provocative tone. For some reason, however, once the words escaped her mouth, she felt oddly upset at the implication.

Natsu groaned as he replied, "Argh, why does everyone think that there's something going on with us!? She's just my childhood friend, sheesh."

Relief struck the blonde as a smile graced her lips once again.

"Good."

Lucy face palmed as she said that single word. A few seconds of silence passed by and she wanted nothing more than to chuck her phone on the opposite side of her room.

"Why is it good?" Natsu finally asked. His voice was void of any laughter and was instead something more serious. Not mad. Just genuinely curious.

"U-Umm I don't know," Lucy stammered. "Because there's no way I can let someone dense like you get a girlfriend while I'm still single."

Natsu chuckled as he replied, "Right."

A yawn escaped Lucy's mouth. Apparently her six hour nap wasn't enough and her body needed more rest.

"I should get going," she said. "Text you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

 **AN:** Jealousy from both Lucy and Natsu! :D Hope you all enjoyed!

 **Fairyfan8:** Thank you so much I'm glad you thought it was cute :)

 **Sidjr100:** You are very welcome! Thank YOU for the review! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** If she beat him up too much she probably would've killed him and that would lead to a whole other story haha! Thank you! :D

 **Iamtlani13:** Oh yes, they most certainly are in looooove! ;)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much! I figured having them make it a game would make it easiest to spill out the information! :D

 **FireShifter:** Thank you! And don't worry about the late reviews, I'm just glad that you review at all! :) And I hope your vacation was fun! I could definitely use a vacation haha :)


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Hi guys I really like this chapter! Please enjoy! :D This is my longest chapter so far!

Chapter 9

It was Saturday morning, the day of Mira's birthday party. The one that Lucy was not attending, despite Natsu's best efforts. As the pink-haired boy got ready, he slung on his regular clothes and headed for the door. He never was one to dress up, no matter what the occasion was. Thus, with one last wave to his cat Happy, he was out the door, ready for the party he had been helping prepare, two presents in his hands.

While most of the time he was eager to meet everyone at the Fairy Tail pub, his face was unusually void of his signature grin. Instead, his face was blank of emotion. While he should have been thinking of the fun that was to come at the party, all he could think about was a certain blonde.

" _Get it together, Natsu,"_ he scolded himself. It wasn't like him to be so hung over someone. " _You can make it one day without her."_

Finally approaching the bar, Natsu swung open the door and gave his typical greeting. "I'M HERE!" he announced at the top of his lungs.

The run-down bar was full of people, just as Natsu had expected. Making his way towards his group of friends, the pink-haired boy tried his best to maintain a cheery smile- though it was hard when the one person he wanted to talk to most was nowhere around.

"Yo!" he greeted, taking a seat next to Lisanna. The two were sitting at a large, circular table along with Mira, Elfman, Gray, Juvia, Erza, Cana, Levy, and Gajeel. "Is it time for presents?"

Lisanna giggled and questioned, "Isn't it a little early for presents? You just got here!"

"I don't care! I want Mira to open my presents already! My friend actually helped me pick them!"

"You mean Lucy?" Gray inquired, a smirk plastered to his face.

"Yep!"

"How nice of her," Erza chimed in while eating her signature strawberry shortcake. "They must be excellent gifts then seeing as how they aren't from you."

Natsu stuck his tongue out at the red-head, who had promptly slapped him upside the head. She was right, after all. Usually his gifts tended to be stuff that _he_ wanted so that they would just give it back to him to enjoy. And if it wasn't that, then it was something random he found off the streets. This time, however, he had complete confidence in his two gifts thanks to Lucy.

Mira giggled and said, "It doesn't hurt getting gifts earlier, I guess!" With a grateful nod, she accepted the two gifts into her hands. Beginning with the smaller present, she tore away at the sloppy wrapping paper. Inside was a beautiful hairclip bejeweled with multicolored gems. "Wow! This Lucy girl has great taste!"

"She really does!" Levy agreed as she took the hairclip and admired the way it sparkled magnificently under the light. Glancing at Gajeel, she gave him a look that said, _you better buy me something like this._

Mira laughed heartily, seeing the contact between the two and began to unwrap the larger gift. It was hard and heavy in her hands, making her wonder if Natsu had given her a box of rocks… _again._ Her thoughts vanished though as she relished at the sight of a thick cookbook that rested in her hands. Flipping through the pages, the silver-haired female found multiple recipes that she had never even heard of before. Everyone at the table stared at the pictures and began to drool at the sight of the wonderful food.

"Wow, Natsu!" Mira squealed. "These are such great gifts! You really should bring Lucy here next time so that I can thank her too! I would really like to meet her!"

"You have met her!" Natsu informed her. "Lucy told me she met you on her first day of school and that you showed her to her first class."

"Oh, that really pretty blonde girl from a couple weeks ago! I remember her! Well, bring her next time for me!"

Natsu eagerly nodded. The group then began to talk about anything and everything for the next half hour. As the boy began to miss his blonde companion once again, he felt a slight tugging on his sleeve. Looking to face the culprit, he found Lisanna looking towards the floor. Her face was a deep shade of red.

"You okay, Lisanna?" Natsu asked. "You sick?"

"N-No, I'm not sick…" she finally answered. Everyone at the table was staring at the two now. The silver-haired girl felt a light nudge on her back from Mira, encouraging her to go on. "C-Can we talk somewhere private, Natsu?"

The pinkette stared at his childhood best friend with a look of curiosity. "Sure."

Natsu followed Lisanna to an empty corner of the building, far away from everyone else. He watched as the silver-haired girl paced back and forth, seemingly trying to find the words to say. Placing a hand over her shoulder, he stopped her in her tracks and forced her to look at him.

"What's up with you, Lisanna?" Natsu asked, a concerned look on his face.

Lisanna tensed under his piercing gaze, but then braced herself for what was to come. She had been preparing for this moment for weeks with her older sister, practicing her lines and what she was going to do with different outcomes. It was now or never. Staring into Natsu's eyes with fierce determination, she finally let out what she had been holding onto for years.

"Natsu, I love you," she bluntly said, never letting her eyes falter from his own.

Natsu's face remained blank, as if waiting for her to say, "Just kidding!" However, she never did, making his eyes widen. He took in the fierce blush spread across her cheeks and the way her eyes were full of determination. She was telling the truth. And that scared him.

"W-What do you mean, Lisanna?" he asked, retracting his hand and placing it to his side. He also took a couple steps back, which did not go unnoticed.

Lisanna took a deep breath. She was prepared for rejection, but she just _had_ to let her feelings be known no matter what. "I love you, Natsu. I have since we were kids. I don't want to be just friends anymore. I want more."

"Lisanna-"

"And I don't care if you don't want to be in a relationship or anything! I just needed to make sure that you knew so I wasn't regretting it for the rest of my life! I guess playing house stopped being a game and became my dream after a while… Okay, now you can say something."

Natsu ruffled his hair awkwardly and took in a deep breath. He had never been confessed to before. He didn't think girls would ever be into him if he were being completely honest. Though, it didn't matter seeing as how he never wanted anything more than friendship anyways. And that was still true at the moment.

"Lisanna," he finally started, "you've been one of my closest friends since I was a kid… I-I'm sorry but… I… Listen…"

"I know," the silver-haired girl interrupted. "You always ramble like that when you're nervous. But don't worry, Natsu. I know how you feel, probably more than you do. I just needed to get it off of my chest."

The pink-haired boy gave a shy smile and asked, "Still friends?"

"Duh!"

The two then shared an awkward hug, though it was still a hug nonetheless. They then went back to the rest of the group. Natsu noticed Mira looking at Lisanna with a curious expression, to which the younger female shook her head. Now he felt even more awkward than before. He tried to shrug it off for the time that followed, but it was impossible, for obvious reasons. When it began nearing one o'clock in the afternoon, the boy got up from his seat.

"I think I'm gonna call it a day," he announced. He noticed Lisanna give him a knowing look. Luckily, she smiled at him, letting him know it was alright and that she understood.

"Where you going, Flame Brains?" Gray questioned.

"None of your business," Natsu answered, already heading towards the exit. "Happy birthday again, Mira!" With that, he left the pub, not knowing where he was heading. Though, his body continued to move as if he did. His legs walked and turned throughout Magnolia, towards a certain apartment he was quickly becoming familiar with.

As he approached, Natsu saw Lucy exiting her apartment, her plump lips tugged into a frown. Figuring he shouldn't just run up to the girl, Natsu chose to follow at a distance, planning on scaring her from behind. He watched as she walked throughout the streets and towards the train station. There was a flower stand outside of the train station, where Lucy bought two beautiful bouquets of white roses. The pink-haired boy gulped, unsure as to if he should follow her more or not. After all, transportation wasn't his strong suit. However, seeing her puffy eyes and red nose, he trudged forward and forced himself onto the train, sitting rows behind his newest friend so that she couldn't see him.

* * *

Lucy sighed as the train finally came to a stop just on the outskirts of Acalypha. She had spent such a short amount of her life here, yet it had been full of great memories. After making amends with her father, the two of them had moved out from the royal city of Crocus and into the quaint town of Acalypha. It was here that she learned why she was named Lucy. Apparently an old, lit up sign was beginning to break as the letter "K" in the word "Lucky" had stopped shining, giving the Heartfilia couple a name for their unborn child- if it was a girl, of course.

It was also here that her mother's grave had resided. It was in a cemetery, surrounded by plenty of other tombstones, but Lucy always knew which one was hers. It stood out among the rest of the others in her eyes. As the girl walked the familiar path towards the cemetery, she found herself on the verge of tears. How many times had she walked this path? Too many times to count, that's for sure.

Finally approaching her normal position in the cemetery, Lucy crouched onto the ground just beyond the two tombstones and sat in a crisscross position. The blonde then placed the flowers onto the tombstones. Running her dainty finger over her mother's grave, she could feel the cracks of marble from its aging. Following the process with her father's, she found that it was still smooth as can be. After all, it had only been a few months since his passing.

"Hello, Mama and Papa," Lucy said. The corners of her lips were slightly tugged upwards into a half-assed smile. "It's been a while, huh? I'm always writing to you but I don't visit as much these days. I guess it's just harder now, knowing that both of you are gone. I miss you both so much and sometimes I feel lonely but I have friends now. _Real_ friends. I wish you could've met them. All of them. Since I don't write about them, I'll describe them for you now! That way you guys can know about them more!"

She then continued, starting with Cana. "Cana is truly the most confident person I have ever met. I strive to be like her one day- besides the alcoholism, of course. She is such a fun-loving and carefree girl, I can tell that she has found her own freedom. I know that she is going to help me loosen up when I get too wound up and is going to help me with boy problems- if I ever find a boy, that is."

Next she spoke about Juvia. "Juvia is a really… _eccentric_ person. She speaks in third person all the time and she is absolutely crazy over Gray- I'll explain him next. She thought I was her love rival at first and really creeped me out, I thought about getting a restraining order. I'm so glad I didn't though, because she is one of the kindest girls I have ever met. Her love runs deep- sometimes a little _too_ deep- but it reminds me of you, Mother. The way that you cared so much about the two of us. I'm glad I am friends with her."

"Next is Gray. He's an interesting person. He always tries to be cool and mysterious, but I can read him. He tries to pretend that he doesn't like Juvia, but it's obvious he's head over heels for her. He's probably just scared of relationships. But he is so caring. He's like an older brother to me, actually. Remember when I used to beg you two to make me an older brother?" Lucy let out a giggle. "Well, looks like I found one on my own. He notices awkward situations and tries to bring me out of them. He was also the one to help me warm up to the group. I'm grateful to have someone like him around."

"I guess Erza is next! She was one of the girls I wrote to you about! She has long, stunning scarlet hair that makes me so envious. But more than anything, I love her strength and kindness. She was actually my first friend here. She welcomed me into the school with open arms, and although she can be a bit… _controlling,_ her kindness is unending. Thanks to her, I am surrounded by friends and I am so grateful. I guess she's like my older sister! She helps me with homework, just like you used to, Mama."

"Next is Levy-chan! We instantly clicked! She promised to read my story when I finish it! She's quirky, short, and cute and oh! Get this! She's in love with this tall guy named Gajeel who's covered in piercings and is super gruff and whatnot! He's cool, but I find it amusing that Levy-chan fell for him. Anyways, thanks to her tricking me, I met everyone- well, _almost_ everyone- for the first time and it was great! I can thank her for getting me out of my boring shell of a life! She comes over a lot and we gossip and stuff like girls are supposed to with their friends. I guess she's my first girl best friend…"

Lucy sighed as she felt warmth coming to her cheeks. "But my actual best friend is Natsu. He's mischievous and downright evil sometimes. He is always sneaking through my window to get into my apartment and he's so competitive about everything. Once, he didn't want Gray to finish a test before him so he just wrote his name on it and handed it in! Needless to say, he failed. Then he had the nerve to make me tutor him." A laugh escaped her mouth as she recalled the day.

"He's such an idiot but… I feel so free around him. I feel like I can just be myself. I'm not just the rich blonde chick around him. I'm _Lucy._ And he is so caring it's surprising sometimes considering his usual persona. He's actually the only one that knows about you guys. I don't know why, but I find myself trusting him with everything. All of the things that I kept locked away, he manages to get out of me. Everything is comfortable with him and it's so effortless. I love all of my friends, but being with Natsu I don't have to worry about _anything._ Anyways, I guess I should stop boring you guys with my friends."

Lucy stared into the sky and groaned. The grass was wet from the morning dew and her clothes were quickly becoming covered in grass stains. Pulling at each blade of grass individually, the blonde watched as clouds moved by. She was lonely.

"It's more fun talking to you guys when you're actually here to listen," she said in a low tone. "You know, Mama, I was only a child when you passed away but I can still remember your voice. It was so soothing. I remember you would be able to talk me to sleep. I wish you could give me advice on life. And Papa… Things weren't always great between us, were they?" Lucy asked rhetorically, awkwardly chuckling. "But I'm glad we managed to fix things between us. It's terrible that you had to go so soon afterwards, but I'm glad we made up. I'm sure you were a bit annoyed watching me from above. After all, you spent years trying to make me stay in that mansion and I just up and left. And I know you two didn't want me going to a public school… But I know that you are both happy for me now that I am truly happy."

Lucy sighed for the umpteenth time that day. There was a chilly breeze, and considering the fact that she was only clad in a short, white dress, the blonde was shivering. After talking without receiving replies for another half hour, she stood up and stretched her aching muscles. She hadn't moved away from the graves, wanting to stay just a bit longer.

By the time she had finished talking, it had gotten even colder. Her teeth were chattering and she rubbed her arms quickly so that she can recover warmth. It was futile, however, as she felt as if she was going to have to have her toes amputated due to frostbite. That is, until she felt something being draped over her shoulders. Lucy was scared, wondering if someone was trying to kidnap her or something of the sort. Slowly turning her head to face the culprit, she found none other than her trusty best friend, grinning at her with his signature smile.

"Yo, Luce!" he greeted warmly, making Lucy forget she was ever cold. "So this is why you couldn't come to Mira's birthday party?"

"N-Natsu?" was all that Lucy could say. Shaking her head to recover from shock, she tried again. "What are you doing here?"

The pink-haired boy shrugged and sat crisscross on the grass in front of her parent's tombstones. "I was heading over to your place to hang out but I saw you leaving. So I figured I could scare you, but then we went on the train and you know… Motion sickness… And then you came here."

"D-Did you hear anything?" Lucy questioned, suddenly embarrassed about all of the things she said about him before.

"You mean about how much of a caring idiot I am? Yep, heard every word," Natsu answered with a smirk. He then tugged Lucy's wrist so that she would sit beside him and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I feel the same way about you, Luce. You're my best friend. Why were you going to leave, by the way? You weren't here that long."

"It was getting really cold…"

Natsu then looked to see that instead of putting his signature coat on, Lucy still had it draped over her shoulders. "You should probably put that on so that you're warm. That's why I gave it to you, you know."

Lucy completely forgot about the cloth that hung over her shoulders and did as she was told and slipped one arm into the sleeve. Then she remembered that he wore a strange coat with only _one_ sleeve. What kind of person wears something ridiculous like that? Oh right. Natsu. The blonde's teeth continued to chatter as she was still cold. Natsu noticed immediately and sighed. Removing his scarf, he wrapped it around her neck. Afterwards, he put an arm around the girl's shoulder and let her lean onto him for warmth. The two sat in a comfortable silence, staring at the tombstones in front of them.

"You know," Natsu began in an usually low and serious tone of voice, "that scarf you're wearing right now is that last thing my father ever gave to me before he left."

Lucy's eyes widened and she pulled herself off of her best friend to stare into his eyes. They were deep and full of emotion. "W-Why would you let me wear this then!?" she suddenly shrieked. "Here, take it! It's important!"

"I know it is, but you're cold," Natsu nonchalantly replied, putting his arm back around her and shoving her back into their previous position. "You're the only one I've ever let wear it."

"…Thank you…"

"No problem. So is there a special occasion?"

Lucy nodded, her head still leaning onto Natsu's chest. "It's my parents' anniversary today."

Natsu nodded in return. Then he did something that completely surprised Lucy to the core.

"Yo, Lucy's parents!" he said.

Nobody had ever tried talking to her parents' tombstones before. Then again, she had never brought anyone here before. Lucy listened to what the pink-haired boy was saying.

"Nice to meet ya! Thanks for letting your daughter hang out with me! She's really weird though. I wonder which one of you she gets it from…" He brought a finger to his chin in thought. "You know, I'm starting to think that Lucy just gets her weirdness from herself."

Lucy smacked Natsu's chest and giggled. "Shut up, dork."

"Nah. Anyways, you two should be really proud of your daughter! She is one of the smartest people I have ever met- besides Levy. She's smarter than everyone. But Lucy is a close second! And she's the nicest and most trustworthy. She is also fun to be around. So thanks again for letting me hang out with her all the time!"

Lucy wiped away at the few tears that had escaped her eyes during Natsu's rambles. They were the kindest words she had ever heard before. And it was from her dearest friend. It was such a sweet gesture, talking to her parents as she was before. He even gave her his precious scarf and was sitting shirtless in the cold so that she could be warm and talk to her parents more. She knew then that switching schools and being forced to join the group chat were the two best things to ever happen to her. For that, she had met the absolute most important person in her life. Snuggling closer to Natsu's chest, the two stayed in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company as the sun set behind them. Both were tearing down each other's walls quickly, and neither had the intention of stopping.

 **AN:** Again, loved this chapter. :') Btw, I just posted the first chapter to my new nalu story. It's called _The Flaming Key._ Here's a summary: "Everyone gains a tattoo once they turn 16, linking them to their soulmates. The only hard part is finding your other half. Lucy Heartfilia has finally turned 16 and is on the hunt for her soulmate. Much to her chagrin, it's somebody that she had least suspected." It would mean a lot if you guys could check it out. :)

 **Magnificent dragoness:** I agree I just love seeing these two jealous so much! :D Thank you for the review! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Yes, a jealous Natsu is an amusing Natsu! :D He's so pouty and mad I love it. Thanks for the review!

 **FireShifter:** There will be some "drama" but they aren't going to be rivals as in hating each other and stuff! I don't even think it's considered drama but I don't know how else to put it haha! I am not into writing stuff like that painting Lisanna as evil and whatnot haha! I prefer making the two accept their shared feelings and supporting each other! :) Thank you for the review! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** Yep, Gray is right! The two are dense! Thank you :)

 **Sidjr100:** That's good! :D That just means that I should add even more exciting stuff! :D

 **Ladynoirshipper:** Thank you so much haha! :D And yes he is jealous! And believe me, this won't be the only time he gets jealous! ;)

 **Guest:** I will update! Thank you! :D


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Hello again everyone! :) Hope you're all enjoying your day and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter 10

Once finished at the two Heartfilia graves, Lucy and Natsu headed back for Magnolia. Though it went unnoticed by the two, they had walked even closer than they had before. Their arms had even slightly collided many times. When they boarded the train, the pink-haired boy collapsed ungracefully onto the floor, forcing his blonde friend to drag him to their seats. Once situated, Lucy allowed his head to fall onto her thigh and took it upon herself to run her fingers through his hair gingerly.

When they were finally in Magnolia, Natsu had instantly ran out of the train and kissed the solid ground, earning a kick to his side for embarrassing his best friend with his antics. In a successful attempt to get the blonde to stop hitting him, he grabbed her wrist and began to pull her towards her apartment. Entering the quaint home, the two slouched on the couch with heavy sighs. It had been a long day for the both of them.

"So why didn't you go to Mira's party?" Lucy finally asked. She had been wondering it since the moment he showed up at her parent's graves but waited until then to ask. "I helped you buy those gifts for nothing."

"Nah, I did go. Just not for long," Natsu replied.

"Why not? Was it boring?"

"I guess."

Lucy let out an annoyed sound as her friend wasn't elaborating on anything and making her ask all of these questions. "How was it boring?"

"You weren't there, duh."

Lucy cursed herself for asking as her heart sped up under her ribcage. It confused her, but she shrugged it off. Surely it was only because they were best friends, right?

"You know you gotta learn to live without me sometimes," she finally said.

"Nah. You're stuck with me."

"S-Shut up. You're talking like we are in a relationship or something!" Lucy shrieked as she slapped him on his chest. His _bare_ chest. Which reminded her that she was still wearing his coat and his scarf.

"Why aren't we then?" Natsu teased. He was only kidding of course, as he smirked at the blonde in front of him.

Lucy smacked him again but this time let her hand linger on Natsu's skin. Just as she expected, his chest was as unnaturally warm as the rest of his body. Her chocolate brown eyes then roamed across his body even more. His abs were just as appealing then as they were when she had met him. Without even knowing, her slender finger had begun to trace over them, eliciting a shaky breath from the boy.

Natsu completely shook at the contact, all jokes completely tossed aside. He was unsure as to what Lucy was doing to him exactly, but he knew that it felt… _good._ She was just running her hand over his bare stomach, why did it feel so great? As her finger ventured lower and on its way towards the hem of his jeans, Natsu's body began to tremble. He quickly grabbed her hand and whipped his madly blushing face away.

Once Natsu had grabbed her hand, Lucy was absolutely mortified at herself. She had never lost control of herself like this before, and it was with her best friend. She didn't even know that she was doing that! It was as if her hand had a mind of its own and decided to indulge itself with Natsu's skin. Peeking through her eyelashes to see her friend's reaction, the blonde found that he was avoided her gaze and could see that his face was a deep shade of red.

" _He's blushing,"_ Lucy observed. A warm feeling sprouted in the pit of her gut at the realization. Then she remembered what she had just done once again and jumped to the opposite side of the couch and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, Natsu! I don't know what came over me!"

"I-It's okay," he replied, still avoiding eye contact.

Lucy literally face palmed at her actions. The awkward vibes tainted the air around them and she felt as though she were being suffocated. Why had she done that? Could she have _feelings_ towards the pink-haired boy she titled her best friend? Images of him shoving food into his mouth and breaking into her apartment clouded her mind and she shook her head.

" _No, that can't be it. Oh, I got it! It's just because I've been in an all-girls school for so long that I was just so curious as to what abs felt like so my subconscious told my hand to find out! It all makes sense! As if I could like Natsu of all people!"_

Lucy decided to voice her findings to relieve the tension. "Sorry, Natsu. I guess I was just curious what abs felt like. I went to an all-girls school, you know. I won't let it happen again though, I promise!"

Natsu frowned as a blush appeared on his face once more. Turning to look at the wall, he asked, "…Are you still curious?"

"Huh?"

"Are you still curious?"

Lucy's eyes widened, wondering if he was being serious. Hesitantly, she nodded her head. What? Why would she pass up the opportunity to feel a hot boy's abs? Her best friend was even being kind enough to quench her curiosity! Her hand traveled towards his body ever so slowly. It was just mere inches away…

"Hey, Lu-chan, you home?" a shrill voice rang from the door, which had been unlocked the entire time and now barged open. Levy stood in the doorway holding bags of what seemed like groceries as she was asking if she could spend the night. That was when her eyes landed on the two on the couch. Her eyes bugged out and she dropped the bags she was carrying. "L-Lu-chan a-and Natsu! I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt! I'll just go-"

"Wait, don't go!" Lucy cried out, retracting her hand. She couldn't let her petite friend leave when she didn't understand the situation. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Then what is it?"

"I-I was just curious and Natsu let me feel…"

Levy smirked knowingly at the two and snickered. Sauntering towards the two, she relished in the embarrassment that shown on their faces. Stopping in front of Natsu, her smirk only grew as she gained his attention. His cheeks were still a deep shade of red, causing Levy to stifle a laugh.

"Well then, I'm curious too, Natsu. Can _I_ feel your abs?" she questioned, wanting to laugh more than anything.

Natsu grunted as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "No, only Lucy can."

"Why?"

"Because she's my best friend."

Lucy tried her best to ignore the sudden disappointment she had felt when Natsu said that. Why though? Did she want him to say something else? Perhaps that he had liked her? Shaking her head, she joined in the conversation once again.

"See, Levy-chan? We are just friends," she said, her heart pained by the statement, though she didn't know why.

"Mhmm, anyways," Levy said, changing the subject much to her friends' relief, "I figured we could have another girl night! It's been a while since we had and it's a Saturday night, so why not?"

Lucy sighed and then gave an eagerly bright smile. "You could've knocked first, but I'll let it slide this time. Yeah, let's do it! You got the stuff?"

"Yep! Mint chocolate chip for me and cookie dough for you!"

"I guess I'll take this as my cue to leave," Natsu announced, smiling at Lucy. He was glad to see her excited about a sleepover with Levy and he wondered when the two of them were going to have one.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry Natsu! I'll text you tomorrow?" Lucy asked. She had forgotten he was there.

"Sounds good."

Before leaving, he inspected the blonde one last time. She was still wearing his coat and his scarf. While the scarf made her look cute and adorable, the coat looked… _sexy._ Since she was only wearing a short dress underneath, it was as if she was naked underneath. Shaking the bad thoughts from his mind, he grinned at her and left through the window.

" _I guess I'll let her wear them a little longer,"_ he thought as he made his way through Magnolia shirtless.

Now that Natsu was gone, Lucy strode into her room and quickly changed into her pajamas: light blue silk shorts and a tank top. She then went back to her living room and plopped onto the sofa beside Levy. The blue-haired girl was setting up Netflix so that they could watch a romantic comedy movie. This was their usual, before they were too absorbed around Natsu and Gajeel.

Levy had actually been making great strides in her relationship with the scruffy teen. Since their date- the one that Lucy had forced Levy to ask Gajeel out- the two had been spending more and more time together. They flirted nearly effortlessly now and were going on more dates, to which Levy would call the blonde and excitedly give her the details as to what occurred. The two were clearly becoming an item and it was all thanks to Lucy.

Besides from the romance of her best friend, Lucy was also watching a romance ensue on her TV. It was a typical guy-meets-girl movie in which they both hated each other at first until they were forced to get to know each other. While the movie was cliché, it still forced Lucy to feel things she didn't understand. She watched as the two became closer and she watched how they acted. She watched as they gained feelings and fell in love. Love. Despite all of the romance movies she had seen, that one word always confused her.

Well, it wasn't that love itself confused her. It was more that she didn't know how to _get_ it. After all, everyone around her was in love: Levy had Gajeel, Juvia had Gray, Erza had Jellal. Hell, Cana had a new guy every week! Even though none of them were actually _dating,_ it was clear that they were all in love- well, besides her alcoholic friend, but it was clear that love wasn't her thing anyways. Yet, Lucy wasn't quite as lucky. At first, she wanted nothing more than friendship. She had been locked away from people for so long, that was all she could hope for. Now, however, after seeing everyone around her enjoying their love-lives, Lucy couldn't help but feel glum.

Where was her soulmate? Why wasn't he appearing in her life? Just how long did she have to wait? Great, now the characters were kissing in front of her.

" _Kiss,"_ Lucy thought. It was such a simple action, just two lips meeting each other. Yet, it held so much meaning. " _I wonder what a kiss would be like."_

Finally, the movie had ended, much to Lucy's relief. Well, except for…

"So, Lu-chan, do you like anyone yet?" Levy questioned, causing the blonde to choke on her ice cream.

"L-Levy-chan!" Lucy sputtered in response. "I already told you, I'm not looking for a relationship!"

"Uh huh, sure. Is that why every time I come over you wanna watch _romance_ movies?"

"Hey! It's a romantic comedy…"

"Admit it, Lu-chan! You want a relationship!"

Lucy crossed her arms and huffed. "Fine! I want one! But it doesn't matter anyways! My soulmate is taking his precious time coming into my life, unlike you. Hell, I might not even have one."

"Oh you have one," Levy replied, turning her attention back to her ice cream. Her knowing tone made Lucy curious.

"What do you mean?"

"Natsu, duh."

Lucy began to choke once again, now knowing that she shouldn't have asked. She could feel her cheeks getting warm and just knew that she was madly blushing. "D-Don't be stupid! As if I would like _Natsu!_ He's so not my type!"

"Even so, he's your soulmate. You two hang out all the time and you are always the happiest when you're with him. Just like me and Gajeel. You are just too dense to realize it. Oh, and he's the only one you told that you're rich and stuff."

Lucy's eyes widened and for the third time that day, she had choked on her ice cream. She really had to stop doing that. "W-Wait, how do you know about that?"

Levy shrugged as she answered, "I was looking you up to see if you had a Facebook or something so that I can find any embarrassing pictures of you and send it in the group chat-"

"Levy-chan!"

"Anyways, when I typed your name on Google, all kinds of stuff came up. So, yeah!"

"When did you figure this out?"

The petite girl placed a thumb to her chin in thought. "Hmm… I think the day after you joined our group chat!"

"A-And how does it make you feel?"

Levy stared into Lucy's brown eyes, causing her to look into her own lap with shame. It wasn't that she _wanted_ to keep everything a secret, it's just that she also didn't want to say the words aloud either. Now Levy knew she didn't trust her with such sensitive information. Just then, the blue-haired girl burst into laughter.

"You really think I care, Lu-chan?" Levy asked after she finished laughing. "I'll admit, I was shocked at first. But then I realized that it all made sense! After all, how else would an unemployed 17 year old girl be able to pay for a nice apartment like this? Anyways, I understand why you kept it a secret. And don't worry, I haven't told anyone else. Your secret is safe with me!"

Lucy didn't realize she had started tearing up until she felt a single tear roll down her cheek. Wiping it away, she smiled at her friend. Fairy Tail High was full of such wonderful people and she knew that if she were to tell the rest of her friends, they would all have the same reaction. Lucy loved her life how it was. She loved her friends. She didn't need a love-life as long as she had them…

Or so she thought.

 **AN:** I will always love Lucy and Levy's friendship. :')

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Thank you so much! :) I liked that he talked to Lucy's parents too. I feel like that would make them so much closer and stuff! :)

 **Mavis Chase:** Why hello! :D Thanks for the review on this story too! :)

 **FairyDancerHeartfilia:** \\(^v^)/

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much as always! :D

 **CelesetialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Thank you so much! :D Your review was so kind :')

 **FireShifter:** Thank you! :D I just like seeing how Lucy sees her friends haha :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you for all of the reviews! :D And thanks for all of your reviews on all of my other stories too! :') Means so much! :'D


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** You will love this chapter I promise.

Chapter 11

Lucy sighed as she punched her alarm to get it to stop beeping. After the sleepover with Levy, the blonde's weekend was a blur. Gray wasn't able to come over on Sunday as they planned, so Lucy spent the day bored. Well, besides the time she got to spend writing her novel. Other than that, she was doing nothing except lounge around, occasionally sending texts in the group chat. Natsu also seemed to be hung over something, so she couldn't text him much either.

Throwing her clothes on with a heavy sigh, the blonde made her way towards the kitchen and popped a bagel into the toaster. Once it was done, she slathered strawberry cream cheese onto it and bit into the bagel with delight. She never was one caring about carbs as long as the food she was eating tasted good. Finally finished getting ready for the day ahead of her, Lucy left her apartment to find Natsu waiting for her as always.

"Morning, Lucy!" he greeted with his typical enthusiasm.

"Morning, Natsu," Lucy replied, her greeting duller in comparison.

"What's wrong with you? I thought school was your favorite place."

" _Was._ And that was only because it let me make friends. Now that I have friends, I don't see getting up early in the morning worth it since I see them afterwards."

Natsu chuckled and ruffled her hair. "I know something that'll wake you up."

"And what's that?"

"A snowball fight!"

Lucy sighed as she walked past the pinkette. "No, Natsu. Erza will kill us if we drag more snow into school. Not to mention we'll be late."

"Party pooper," Natsu teased. There was a brief moment of silence until he spoke again. "So, what are your plans for Christmas?"

"Christmas? Oh, right. I forgot about that… I don't have any, I guess," Lucy glumly answered, her eyes glued to the snow-covered ground.

"That's lame. I don't have plans either. I usually go to Fairy Tail-"

"Fairy Tail? The school?"

"Nah, a bar. Mira works there. We've called it Fairy Tail since we were kids and I guess the name just kinda stuck."

Lucy stopped in her tracks. "Wait, so Mira works as a secretary for our school _and_ as a waitress in a bar?"

Natsu shrugged. "Is that weird?"

"I guess not."

The two continued their walk in silence. There was a question lingering in the air above them, both unsure as to how to ask. Finally, Natsu gathered the courage and spoke.

"Wanna spend Christmas with me?" he asked. Then he quickly added, "And Happy, of course."

Lucy giggled and nodded her head. "That sounds fun. I'll go if you get me a present."

Natsu scoffed. "A present? You must think I actually like you."

"I know you do. Everyone does."

The pink-haired boy burst into laughter. "Wow, what an ego! Anyways, I guess I'll get you a present if you get me one too."

"Deal!"

* * *

Lucy's first three classes went by quickly. Math with Erza and Loke passed quickly as they took a test- one that the blonde hoped she passed. Creative writing with Levy and Gajeel was fun as always, though she was a third wheel for a portion of the time. And Chemistry with Gray, Juvia, and Levy was exciting as she and Gray worked on their project together. But lunch was always Lucy's favorite time of the day because she could finally eat and see a certain someone that didn't have any classes with her.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted as the blonde took her seat next to him.

Lucy then remembered that Lisanna had sat there last Friday and wondered if she should sit next to Gray again. Picking up her things, she was about to change seats when Natsu grabbed her wrist and sat her back down.

"Where are you going?" he asked, concern showing on his face.

"I was going to sit next to Gray," Lucy answered with a shrug.

A scowl quickly took over Natsu's face as he asked, "Why?"

"Because isn't this Lisanna's seat?"

Lucy was shocked to see Natsu's eyes widen at their friend's name. She could see that he was uncomfortable, but she had no idea why. Weren't they childhood friends?

" _Something must've happened between them,"_ Lucy thought. " _That's probably why he was distant this weekend."_

Lucy was brought out of her thoughts as Natsu said, "Nah, this is your spot, Luce! Please sit here?"

A faint blush crept onto the blondes cheeks. Words weren't coming to mind, so she simply nodded in response. Her blush deepened at the sight of his signature grin.

"So what's for lunch, Luce?" Natsu asked. He snatched the brown bag and checked its contents. There was a juice box, sandwich, and a cheese stick packed neatly inside. Frowning, he took the juice box and held it away from the blonde that was trying to take it back. He stabbed the straw inside and sipped away mischievously, enjoying the annoyed look on his best friend's face.

"Natsu, you jerk! Give that back!" Lucy squealed, punching his arm repeatedly. "That's mine! Make your own lunches!"

"Too much work." Natsu drank most of the juice box and then handed it back to her with a grin. "Thanks!"

Lucy stared at the straw, her blush rising to her cheeks once again. She found it inevitable after being around Natsu. Everything he did made her flustered, much to her chagrin. Now, she was at war with herself. Should she drink from the straw that Natsu's _lips_ had just touched? After all, it would be like an indirect kiss… Shrugging it off, the blonde sipped away in content. Her sandwich made her throat dry and she needed to wash it down with a liquid.

"Indirect kiss," Levy announced, cackling with the rest of the group at Lucy's reaction.

Her face had basically erupted with warmth as she spit the juice all over the table and began to choke. "S-Shut up, Levy-chan!"

"You and Natsu are even closer than I imagined," Erza stated, a small smile gracing her lips as she stifled a giggle.

"Not you too, Erza!"

"Now you have Ash Brain's germs," Gray added.

"I'm going to poison your dinner later," Lucy said with a huff.

"Gray's coming over?" Natsu asked, completely ignoring what everyone else was saying about their indirect kiss.

"Yeah, for our project," Lucy answered. She could see a scowl flash upon his face and there was something in his eyes that told her she needed to do something. "Do you wanna come over too?" To the blonde's relief, the boy's smile reappeared as he nodded his head. "Just don't be too distracting! We're working on our project!"

"Can Juvia come too?" the blue-haired girl asked. "I've never seen Lucy's apartment before."

"Sure!"

"It is decided then," Erza announced. "We are all going to Lucy's house after school."

Lucy was going to protest. After all, how was she and Gray supposed to get any work done with that many people coming over? However, seeing the underlying threat in Erza's eyes, the blonde shuddered and accepted her fate.

" _They better not make a mess,"_ she thought.

"Hey, where's Lisanna?" Levy asked.

"Oh, that's right. She's not here, is she?" Lucy added.

"She said she wasn't feeling well," Erza answered. Whenever one of them didn't show up to their class- which she somehow found out- the redhead would pester them with texts and calls to know why. And knowing Erza, one had to have a good excuse as to why they were missing school.

Natsu visibly tensed, which didn't go unnoticed to the blonde beside him.

" _I need to ask him about that later,"_ Lucy thought. " _So I guess it's a good thing he's coming over."_

As the school day finally came to end- the last four classes always dragged by slowly- Lucy found herself standing by her locker with Natsu and Juvia, waiting for the rest to show up. One by one or in pairs, the group arrived- even Gajeel showed up with Levy- all that was left was Erza. And there was no way they were going to leave without the red-headed demon and feel her wrath. Eventually, they spotted her walking towards them, a blue-haired boy with a strange face tattoo beside her.

"Hello, everyone," the boy greeted, his eyes landing on Lucy. "You must be Lucy. It's nice to meet you. I am Jellal Fernandez."

Lucy looked at Erza and flinched as she saw her eyes. They were practically screaming, _If you embarrass me I will kill you._

"J-Jellal," the blonde finally said, her friends cackling behind her as they noticed Erza's threat as well. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Jellal will be joining us," Erza asked, not bothering to ask Lucy for permission.

Lucy laughed at her friend's comfort as she invited the redhead's soon-to-be boyfriend along. "Sure. Let's go then!"

It was a quick walk to Lucy's apartment as everyone was engaging in multiple conversations. The blonde led the way up the stairs with a sense of pride. She loved her apartment and she wanted those around her to love it as well. Swinging the door open, she walked in and allowed everyone else to enter too.

"Well, this is it!" Lucy said as everyone made their way to the living room.

"Nice place," Gray complimented.

"It is very well-kept," Erza added.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's have some fun now!" Cana said, bringing out her special flask.

Lucy wondered if she should forbid the girl from drinking in her apartment but shrugged it off. It was futile trying to get the brunette to stop drinking anyways. Even Erza couldn't do it.

"What did you have in mind?" Lucy asked.

"Spin the bottle!" Cana answered with a smirk. "Or, I guess spin the flask."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Lucy, Erza, and Levy screeched in unison.

"Juvia only wants to kiss Gray-sama," the blue-haired girl announced.

"Lame," Cana said. "Fine, truth or dare then."

There was a moment of silence, of contemplation. The game was risky, especially with people like Cana and Natsu there. Actually, Gray and Gajeel seemed just as mischievous. Even Erza seemed to have dangerous dares in mind. Scratch that, the whole group seemed like terrible people to play with. But at the same time it was thrilling. If someone chose truth, they were sure to have to spill a juicy secret. Yet if they chose dare, they were sure to do something embarrassing. It was a lose-lose either way, creating a sense of paranoia. And at the same time, sheer fun.

"I've never played before but… Alright, I'm in," Lucy announced with a playful smirk.

"Me too!" Natsu said.

"C-Can I watch TV instead?" Levy asked, her sweat dropping.

"Nope," Gajeel answered.

"Alright, now that that's settled… Who will be my first victim? Hmm… Jellal! Truth or dare?" Cana asked. Everyone could see the mischief glinting in her eyes.

There was a pause before Jellal answered, "Dare."

"I dare you to strip and wear an outfit of Lucy's that _I_ choose. Including a bra. And you have to wear it all day." It was clear that the brunette had that dare stored in her mind and was just waiting for the opportunity to use it.

"M-My bra!?" Lucy screeched, her face red at the thought of a boy wearing her bra.

Jellal's face was just as red as the blonde as he was forced into her bedroom. A few moments later, the boy came back into the room looking absolutely dead inside. However, the laughter filled the room instantly at the sight. He was wearing a blue miniskirt that matched his hair and a tight white crop top, the bra underneath making it look like he actually had boobs. Cana even took it to herself to tie his hair into little pig tails and apply a layer of makeup to his face.

"I shouldn't have come," Jellal said, his head hanging in shame. Eventually, he picked it up and his eyes landed on his target. "Levy, truth or dare?"

The petite girl let out a squeal, not wanting to do something as embarrassing as the boy just did. "T-Truth!"

"Is it true that you have a crush on one of the boys in this room?"

Everyone in the room gasped. They never thought Jellal would be cruel just as the rest of them were. How the hell did he even know that Levy liked Gajeel? Perhaps he was that smart. Not having the courage to speak, Levy simply nodded her head. Lucy internally laughed as she watched her friend avoid her crush's gaze. Her red cheeks never went back to their original color.

"E-Erza! Truth or dare!" Levy shouted.

"Dare," Erza calmly answered, not fearing anything the short girl had to say.

"Damn it! I was hoping you would say truth!" Levy said. Then her typical snicker escaped her mouth. "But I guess this works just as well… I dare you to kiss Jellal! _On the lips!"_

If looks could kill, Levy would have been dead in a heartbeat. The room fell silent, everyone fearing for their short friend's life. Erza's face went blazing instantly, along with Jellal's. They slowly turned their heads to face each other, only to look away the next second their gazes met.

"J-Just c-close your eyes," Erza instructed, to which the blue-haired boy listened. She then closed her eyes with great force and inched towards him. Their lips met in a short peck, but it was just enough. Jellal fainted immediately, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"J-Jellal!" Erza cried out. "Levy, I am going to kill you in your sleep."

"That kiss wasn't even a whole second!" Levy said, ignoring her friend's threats.

Now it was Erza's turn. "Gajeel. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," the scruffy teen replied with a smirk. He was never one to back away from a good dare.

"I dare you to kiss Levy."

"H-Hey you can't steal dares!" the petite girl argued.

"Fine. Then I dare you to… hold her hand the entire day. You even have to walk her home and hold her hand."

"Tsch, that's it?" Gajeel questioned as he grabbed Levy's hand with ease. "Dragneel, truth or dare?"

Natsu's face instantly perked up as it was _finally_ his turn. "Dare!"

"I dare you to ride the bus on the way to school for the rest of the week!"

All color quickly drained the pink-haired boy's face, leaving him a sickly pale. Just thinking of transportation caused him to slouch over in nausea. However, he refused to be the one to back away from a dare.

"Fine," he finally said.

"You have to take a picture everyday so we know you did it!"

"I got it, Metal Mouth! Hmm… Gray! Truth or dare!"

The dark haired boy replied instantly. "Dare."

"I dare you to chug a whole bottle of hot sauce!" Natsu said, cackling maniacally afterwards.

Lucy laughed along as she went to grab a bottle, knowing that Gray wouldn't refuse. All of the boys in their group were stubborn and were always trying to one up each other. Returning with one of the seven bottles of hot sauce Natsu forced her to buy, she handed it to Gray with a smirk.

"Enjoy," she said, sitting back down next to Natsu.

The group watched with anticipation as Gray tore away the plastic cover. Once he removed the lid, everyone's nostrils were filled with the scent of hot sauce. Those sitting beside Gray were even starting to sniffle with how strong the scent was. Bracing himself, the boy finally chugged the contents. Once he drank every last drop, he turned to face Lucy.

"Bathroom," was all that he said.

"Over there," Lucy said, pointing in the wrong direction so that he could suffer longer. After all, he did make jokes about her and Natsu, this was revenge.

The dark-haired boy then ran out of the room, yelling when he discovered that the blonde had lied about the location of the bathroom and eventually found it on his own. He began gagging into the toilet. Everyone- excluding Juvia- was laughing at the sound. They could then hear the sink being turned on as Gray gurgled water into his throat to relieve it from the scorching pain. When he returned, he set an angry gaze onto Lucy, who made his suffering much worse than it had to be.

"Truth or dare, Lucy?" he asked. Knowing she would choose truth, he began to provoke her. "Then again, you're too much of a wimp to choose dare, huh? Alright, I'll think of a question-"

"Excuse me?" Lucy scoffed. "I am _not_ a wimp!"

"Yeah you are!" Cana said, knowing just what Gray was trying to do.

"Am not!"

"Prove it then," Gray said with a smirk.

"Fine! Dare!" Lucy shouted. Though, she would soon be regretting her choice.

Gray paused for dramatic effect, relishing in the look of fear in his friend's eyes. Finally, he answered.

"I dare you and Natsu to play seven minutes in heaven."

 **AN:** LMAO TELL ME YOU DIDN'T LOVE THIS CHAPTER I DARE YOU! I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH YOU ALL BETTER HAVE TOO!

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Haha thank you I'm glad you enjoyed! :D

 **Apotholite:** Thank you so much! :D Means a lot! :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** There were so many reviews so I'm just going to sum it up in a great big THANK YOU!

 **Sidjr100:** I hope your brain will be okay after exploding out of your butt, especially with this chapter's cliffhanger!

 **Alexa60765:** Omg thank you I was actually worried people would think that was too sexual lmao!

 **SweatyFalcon:** Thank you I will definitely continue! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** You're welcome. That's all I got to say.

Chapter 12

Lucy cocked her head to the side as she innocently asked, "What's seven minutes in heaven?"

Levy snickered as she rhetorically asked, "Wow, you really did go to an all-girls school, huh?"

The blonde shrugged as she faced Natsu. She was surprised to find a deep blush spread across his face. "Wait, so what is it?"

"Natsu will tell you," Gray answered with a smirk. "So get to it, you two! I'll start the timer when I know you guys are in there!"

Lucy shrugged once again and led the way to a closet that was nearly empty after being told by Gray that they needed to be alone in a cramped room. Since she had recently moved in, she didn't know what the put in it so she kept it empty besides a few boxes she had yet to unpack. Shutting the door behind them, the girl spoke.

"So what's seven minutes in heaven?" she asked again.

"W-Well, it's a dumb game where a boy and a girl have to go to a closet and you know… do stuff," Natsu vaguely answered, though Lucy quickly understood.

"O-Oh. Are the lights supposed to be off?"

Natsu nodded, so Lucy turned the light off. The two stood in the dark awkwardly, neither of them moving a muscle.

"We can just pretend if you want," Lucy announced, embarrassed simply talking about it. Part of her felt… _rejected_ standing while Natsu didn't do anything.

The pink-haired boy shrugged, though Lucy didn't see, and asked, "Is that what you want to do?"

"I-I don't know… I guess I don't mind either way. I just don't want to force you to kiss me because of some silly game."

"I-I guess I don't mind either. I would feel like a wimp not going through with a dare anyways. Especially a dare from Gray."

"It's my dare though."

"Still."

There was a drawn out moment of silence until Lucy spoke once again.

"So…" she said, not knowing what to do at all.

"So…" the boy repeated.

"A-Are you going to kiss me?"

"Why do I have to do it? You do it."

Lucy grunted and replied, "F-Fine! But close your eyes!"

"Why? It's dark, I can't see you anyways."

"Just do it!"

Once Natsu confirmed he closed his eyes, Lucy took a step towards him, followed by another. They were right in front of each other, the perfect space apart for a simple kiss besides the distance between their lips. Wrapping her shaky arms around her best friend's neck, she gently brought him down so that she could reach his lips. The girl had never kissed anyone before and inwardly prayed she was good. With all of the courage she had, the blonde lightly pressed her lips onto Natsu's in a gentle manner.

At first Natsu didn't respond, but after a couple of seconds he allowed his hands to circle around her waist and bring her in closer. As a result, the simple kiss turned from one of gentleness to one a bit rougher. The boy began to kiss back expertly, making Lucy wonder if he had experience in this sort of stuff, embarrassing her at the same time.

Pulling away, both were panting and realized that the kiss lasted longer than they had thought and was nowhere near a simple kiss anymore.

"Is that it?" Lucy finally asked in a hushed tone.

"Well, you're supposed to keep going for the whole seven minutes and see where it takes you," Natsu answered, his voice low, ensnarling the girl. Their lips were still close together and they could feel each other's breaths fanning their flushed faces.

"Well, I guess we should keep going then…"

They kissed again, but this time curiosity got the best of them as neither of them had been in this situation before. Lucy clenched Natsu's pink locks tightly, eliciting a growl from the boy as he deepened the kiss. After being granted access, the boy's tongue entered the crevice of her mouth and explored with wonder and excitement. When their tongues first collided, Lucy let out a quick squeak, but quickly began to indulge herself.

Pulling away for the second time, they stared into each other's eyes with wonder.

"Was that your first kiss?" Natsu finally asked. His usual joking persona was pushed aside as he was completely serious in that moment.

"No, that was my second. My first was when I kissed you earlier," Lucy answered.

"Oh, right. Me too."

"Really?"

Natsu softly chuckled and brushed some of her golden locks out of her face. "Yeah. Why is it so surprising?"

"Well, you were just really good so I assumed you had experience!"

"You think I was good?"

"Y-Yeah," Lucy squeaked.

"You were too," Natsu replied.

There was a loud knock on the door as Gray's voice rang out.

"Alright, time's up!" he said.

Lucy felt a twinge of disappointment but shrugged it off. "Shall we go?"

Natsu flicked the lights back on and nodded. They both noticed each other's flushed faces, which caused them to blush even deeper. Walking back to the living room, they took their spots once again.

"I see your hair is messed up, Natsu," Cana teased with a smirk. "Wonder why."

The rest of the group laughed while the pink-haired boy glared at the brunette, Lucy keeping her eyes glued to her carpet. Deciding to change games, they all played Monopoly after Jellal had finally woken up. Eventually, the sun began to set, signaling the time for everyone to go home.

"Looks like we couldn't work on our project," Lucy told Gray.

The dark-haired boy chuckled in response. "Only because your boyfriend got too jealous."

"B-Boyfriend!?"

"Yep. Anyways, we'll just work on it some other day this week. Tell Natsu to suck it up next time and I'll deal with Juvia."

"Deal."

Finally, everyone left, leaving Natsu and Lucy alone. Awkward vibes lingered in the air, suffocating them. They sat on opposite sides of the couch in complete silence, not knowing what to say. That is until Lucy remembered something.

"So what's up with you and Lisanna?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Natsu questioned in return, though it was clear something was up by the way his body tensed.

"Don't play dumb, Natsu. There's clearly something going on."

"Well, it's none of your business."

Lucy gaped at the boy. They told each other everything, how could he keep a secret from her? Especially when she spilled all of her important secrets. Crossing her arms, the blonde scowled.

"Fine, forget I asked," she said.

"I will."

"It's getting late."

"Yep."

"So you should leave."

Natsu glanced at the girl beside him, who only looked away. He could tell she was irritated with him for not talking, but decided to let it go and keep this secret to himself. Heading towards the door, he gave the blonde one last look before leaving for the night.

"Stupid Natsu," Lucy muttered under her breath.

The girl threw on her pajamas and crawled into bed with a heavy sigh. While she was still annoyed with her secretive friend, she couldn't help but bring her fingers to her lips.

" _Natsu and I kissed,"_ she thought. " _And it wasn't bad at all. He was warm."_

Lucy tried to ignore the feeling that she wanted to kiss him even more.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up with a yawn and a bone-popping stretch. Remembering her "fight" with Natsu the prior night dampened her spirits. Dragging her feet to the kitchen, she was going to make herself breakfast but shook her head, deciding she wasn't hungry. Instead, the blonde simply threw on her uniform and got her bag ready.

" _I guess I overreacted last night,"_ Lucy thought, deciding to leave her golden locks down for the day instead of tying them up. " _I mean, we've only been friends for a short time so I shouldn't expect him to tell me everything. I'll make sure to apologize later."_

Once finished getting ready, the blonde braced herself to see her best friend. Thinking of an apology, she opened the door and took a deep breath as she found Natsu waiting for her as always. It was now or never.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy began, keeping her eyes glued to the ground, "I'm sorry about-"

"Lisanna asked me out," the pink-haired interrupted. He took Lucy's school bag and led the way down the steps and onto the streets of Mongolia for their walk to school.

Lucy stood wide-eyed for a moment before shaking her head and pulling herself out of her shocked daze. "Is that bad?"

"I guess."

"Can I ask why?"

Natsu sighed and answered, "Because, I already told you. I don't think of Lisanna like that. Now I feel awkward and I feel guilty for hurting her."

"I don't have experience in these kind of things, but I would think that you did her a huge favor," Lucy stated.

The boy raised a brow as he questioned, "How? I rejected her."

"Exactly. I'm sure it must've sucked for her bottling up her feelings. She probably just confessed to get it off of her chest. And knowing you, I'm sure you let her down easily. Now she doesn't have to keep hiding her feelings and she can finally move on. I'm sure she's just glad you didn't lead her on. That wouldn't have been fair for either of you."

There was a few moments of silence before Natsu spoke up. "You're a weirdo, Lucy."

"Am not. By the way… I'm sorry for pestering you about this last night. It wasn't my place to-"

Natsu groaned and said, "Don't worry about it. I should've just told you. With all that you told me, this is nothing."

And just like that, all awkward vibes diminished from the air, leaving the two laughing like their normal selves again. They chatted idly and even threw snowballs at each other until they finally arrived at school and were outside Lucy's classroom.

"Thanks for carrying my stuff," Lucy said with a smile bright enough to melt the feet of snow outside.

Natsu gave his signature fanged grin and replied, "Don't mention it! I'll see you during lunch!"

With that, the two of them separated, longing for the next time they could see each other again. Though, neither of them would admit it.

* * *

"Lu-chan!" Levy cried out as they took their seats at the lunch table. "I'm so sad that we won't have creative writing together next semester!"

"Huh?" Lucy questioned. "What do you mean?"

"The semester is ending soon so we'll be changing classes!"

"W-What? But we just started classes!"

" _You_ did," Natsu said. "Did you already forget that you were the new girl that transferred here in November?"

Lucy's mouthed formed an "o" as she truly did forget that she was the new girl. She had become so acquainted with all of her friends that she forgot there were times they weren't in her life. There were no awkward moments where she felt left out and the blonde actually knew each of them enough to write a book about them.

"I guess I did," Lucy finally said with a chuckle. Then her lips tugged into a frown. "I don't want my classes to end, though. I really liked them!"

"Me too!" Levy agreed.

Natsu shrugged and slung an arm over the blonde's shoulder. "My classes were boring. But at least we'll have a chance at having some classes together next semester, Luce!"

Lucy turned to face her best friend and instantly regretted it as their faces were so close. She was immediately reminded of their kiss- or should I say _kisses-_ and a blush crept to her cheeks.

"Y-You just want me to help you with your homework," the blonde said, thankful for her recovery.

"Yep!"

Lucy laughed and removed her friend's arm from her shoulder, playfully hitting him and laughing. Then she felt a new presence to the left of her and found Lisanna taking her spot.

"Hey, guys!" the silver-haired girl greeted. It was clear she was avoiding Natsu's gaze.

Speaking of whom, Natsu visibly tensed at his childhood friend's appearance, which did not go unnoticed by Lucy. The blonde reached over and grabbed his hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She was going to retract her hand, but stopped as she felt his warm hand tighten around her own. Flashes of yesterday's events popped in the mind but Lucy pushed them away.

" _This is just a friendly hand hold to make him feel better,"_ she told herself.

But she couldn't deny the butterflies swarming in her stomach.

 **AN:** Rocky road for the two in this chapter but they are making great leaps of progress don't you think! :D

 **Sidjr100:** Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Hope this one was good too!

 **Alexa60765:** They did make out! :D And they got in a mini fight! :D And then they made up and flirted some more! :D

 **XxxKittehxxx:** BECAUSE CLIFFHANGERS ARE AMAZING AND THE REACTIONS ARE PERFECT!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha I see that everyone doesn't like cliffhangers but I thoroughly love them they are so funny! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** I DON'T WANNA BE EXCLUDED FROM THE CLUB SO I WILL CONTINUE I PROMISE!

 **Iamtlani13:** YOU ARE WELCOME! :D HOPE YOU LOVED THIS ONE TOO!

 **Cookie panda-roo:** I hope it was exciting enough for you! :D


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** HI GUYS. I really like this chapter and the next to come I really think that the story is progressing well! :) Prepare for some drama in this chapter! :D

Chapter 13

Natsu's eyes fluttered open Friday morning due to a tickling he felt on his feet. Groaning, the pink-haired boy sat up to find Happy's tail brushing against his feet. Glancing at his clock, the boy sighed seeing as how he had two more hours until he had to wake up for school. Laying back down, he wiped his hands over his face, his cheeks warm.

"You interrupted a really good dream, Happy," he said.

Almost a week had passed since Lisanna confessed to him. Which also meant that almost a week had passed since he and Lucy made out in her closet. Nearly every night since that fateful day, Natsu had been dreaming of their kiss. Last night was different, however.

 _In his dream, he and Lucy were sitting on a grassy hill. There were flowers surrounding them, varying in color. Nobody was around them. It was just the two of them. Alone. Lucy's golden hair was flying in the gentle breeze like silk, making Natsu want to run his fingers through them. So he did. Then his hand traveled to the girl's cheek. Lucy met his eyes and smiled her warm smile and the boy swore there was a halo hanging above her head. Finally, she began to move towards him. Their lips met in a sweet kiss, both sucking each other's lips in content. Natsu laid on top of her and pulled away from their kiss._

 _"I love you," Lucy said._

 _"I love you too, Lucy," Natsu replied. They were just about to kiss again when Natsu was finally woken up._

"I think I'm in trouble, Happy," the boy said, petting his feline friend. "I think I'm falling for Lucy." Happy only meowed in response, prompting him to continue. "This is bad, buddy. She's my best friend and that would just be weird."

Natsu didn't know when it happened. However, he found himself smiling more and more around Lucy. The warm feeling in the pit of his stomach kept coming back, along with memories of their kisses. In addition to the happiness he felt around his best friend, he also felt jealous. _Really_ jealous. Whenever he dropped her off to her math class he found himself standing outside watching her interact with Loke, scowling at the sight. Or whenever he saw Gray walking with Lucy- despite Levy and Juvia always being there as well- he wanted to start throwing punches. Even random boys at their school started hitting on the blonde, much to his chagrin.

He couldn't blame them though. After all, Lucy was undeniably beautiful. Her long, golden locks of hair were soft and shiny and her pink lips were perfectly plumped. Her long, creamy legs had every boy wishing he could run his fingers along them and her eyes made them feel as though they were drowning in the world's richest chocolate. And of course he wasn't blind of her voluptuous curves. She was sexy, beautiful, and cute all in one. No, Natsu could never blame other boys for hitting on her when he as well had fallen for her looks.

But it wasn't just her attractiveness that he was fond of. Lucy was the kindest person he had ever met despite her secretive persona. She was forgiving and patient, two characteristics needed to deal with him. Which she did so well. Lucy handled Natsu perfectly and never stayed mad at him. She was fun to be around and even more fun to annoy.

Lucy was perfection.

And Natsu was falling.

"Damn it, Happy. I don't know what to do," Natsu said with a groan. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with these feelings and I don't want to ruin things. Argh, I wish you could talk and give me advice!"

"Meow."

"Not helping." With one last groan, Natsu pulled himself up and out of his hammock. "I know what I need to do. I need to distance myself from Lucy."

Happy meowed once again as if giving his opinion on Natsu's decision. Whether he approved or not Natsu would never know. Thus, he got ready for school with his plan in the back of his mind.

" _I should still walk her to school to make sure she doesn't get kidnapped or anything. And walk her home after school too. But I am going to distance myself from her more!"_

Attempt #1

It was a chilly December morning as Natsu found himself waiting outside of Lucy's apartment just as he did every other school morning. The only thing different was that it was time to put his plan into action, no matter how hard it was. And boy was it hard.

"Good morning, Natsu!" Lucy greeted with a bright smile.

Natsu, who was standing just a bit farther from the door, replied, "Good morning, Lucy."

The two began to walk to school, Lucy not noticing that their arms weren't brushing against each other for the first time since they met.

"Sheesh, it's seriously getting cold!" the blonde exclaimed while her teeth chattered from shivering. "You're always really warm. Warm me up!"

Natsu stared at her incredulously, his cheeks gaining warmth by the second. He was about to refuse when he saw the girl pouting and looking at him with bright eyes. Cursing to himself, he brought an arm around Lucy and pulled her into his body heat. His heart sped with every step.

" _Damn it."_

Attempt #2

Natsu was about to sneak up behind Lucy, who was putting away some of her things in her locker, in an attempt to scare her. He always loved her loud squeals and the cute angry face she wore when he annoyed her. That was when he remembered his plan and instead decided to keep walking, hoping that she wouldn't notice him. Much to his chagrin, she did.

"Natsu!" she called out from behind him. "Hey, Natsu! Wait up, come here!"

The boy tried to ignore his friend's calls but it was no use as he felt her hand clasp around his wrist. The blonde yanked his arm, forcing him to face her. When he did, their faces were close. Not as close as they were when they were in that damned closet, but close nonetheless.

" _Damn it."_

Attempt #3

It was finally lunchtime, the moment that Natsu had been dreading. This was when he and Lucy would talk the most during school; it was going to be very hard for him to avoid her then. As he sat beside Erza, he heard Lucy plop onto the other seat beside him. He could just feel her presence, not to mention the fact that he could smell her vanilla scent from miles away. The boy kept his attention on Erza and ignored the little pokes he felt in his side.

Getting up, Natsu moved to the opposite side of the table beside Juvia without sparing his best friend a glance. Lucy- along with everyone else at the table- stared at him quizzically. The blonde then shrugged and picked up her lunch and sat next to the boy again, who was doing his best to stifle a groan. He continued to keep his gaze away from his best friend. That is until…

"If you don't want to sit by me I can move," Lucy whispered to him. The corners of her lips were tugged downwards into a frown and she kept her eyes glued to the table.

Natsu could tell she was upset and quickly began making amends. "N-No, it's not that!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I guess I was just a little spacy."

Lucy cocked her head to the side and continued to analyze Natsu. The boy could feel his face heating up and could only hope she wouldn't notice him blushing. To his relief, she didn't and only smiled at him. She then split her sandwich in half and held one of the halves out to him.

"Want some?" she asked, her smile sending warmth throughout his entire body.

" _Damn it."_

Natsu gratefully accepted it and began to nibble on it rather than shoving the whole thing into his mouth like he usually did. It was then that he realized he couldn't distance himself from Lucy. It would not only hurt him, but also hurt her in the process. And hurting Lucy was something he never wanted to do. Staring back at the blonde, who was currently talking to Levy about something, Natsu found himself falling even harder for her. So, he decided to accept his feelings but to never act on them. Surely it was just a crush because she was his first kiss, right?

"Is this seat taken, Princess?" a familiar voice rang out, bringing Natsu out of his thoughts. He found Loke standing beside Lucy and had to suppress a growl.

Gray stared at his rival and best friend with a smirk plastered on his face. Though the rest of his friends hadn't realized it yet, it was clear as day to him that Natsu was falling for their newest friend. And boy was he falling hard. If looks could kill, Loke would be dead with the glare Natsu was giving him. Which is why he was glad that he asked Loke to come and make Natsu jealous in an attempt to get him to act on his feelings. The dark-haired boy wasn't specific as to how to make their friend jealous, but knew Loke could do it. And it was definitely amusing so far.

"Hi, Loke!" Lucy greeted with her typical bubbly smile. "Cana is absent today, so you're free to sit there!"

Loke nodded and sat by the blonde. "Lucy, I've been thinking about something."

The blonde cocked her head to the side and sipped on her juice box, unknowing of how cute she was to the other boy beside her. "What is it?"

"I wanna take you out."

The whole table- Gray included- gasped as they were listening to the conversation.

"Take me out where?" Lucy innocently asked, dense as ever.

"On a date, silly," Loke answered, ruffling her golden hair.

It was then that Lucy's face erupted with a fierce blush. Her cheeks were blazing and she began to choke on her juice.

"W-What?" she sputtered.

"C'mon, you and I have known each other for years! We used to pretend we were getting married when we were kids, so why not go on a date?" Loke asked, grabbing hold of the blonde's hand tenderly.

"Loke, I don't know…"

"Just one night, Princess. I promise to entertain you."

"She doesn't want to," Natsu chimed in, glaring maliciously at the playboy. "So beat it, Loke."

"N-Natsu," Lucy said, taking note of her best friend's appearance. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was frowning intensely, sporting the harshest gaze she had ever seen.

Loke smirked knowingly and replied, "You should know not to interrupt a lovers' conversation, Natsu."

"Go. Away," the pinkette seethed. His hands were balled into fists and wanted nothing more than to attack.

Lucy whipped her head between the two, unsure as to what to do. Loke was her first friend, the one that she had played with when she was a kid and was her only escape from her lonely days in the mansion. Surely a date with him couldn't be too bad, even if a relationship never sprouted from it. Natsu on the other hand was her best friend and was clearly upset about them going on a date for some reason she didn't know. Yet, having him try to control who she went out with ticked her off and made her feel as though she was locked in the mansion again.

"Natsu, you don't get to decide for me," Lucy finally said.

"I'm doing what's best for you," he replied.

A memory of her father played in Lucy's mind, back before they had made amends. He always told her that exact thing when he was forcing her to do something back at the horrid mansion. He was always deciding her future, never taking her feelings into consideration. Which was exactly what Natsu was doing. Thus, the blonde got mad.

"I can take care of myself, Natsu!" she exclaimed. "I don't need you deciding things for me!"

"Clearly you do if you're considering going on a date with this guy!" Natsu shouted back.

"If I wanted some guy to boss me around and control who I date I would've stayed at that damned mansion!" Lucy yelled, effectively shutting Natsu up. She then looked back at her childhood friend, who was beginning to regret listening to Gray. Fierce determination and fresh anger glinted in her eyes. "Loke, I would love to go on a date with you. When are you going to pick me up and where are you taking me?"

Loke raised a brow at the girl and struggled to find the words to say. He was still fearful of the pinkette behind her. This wasn't at all how he and Gray imagined the scenario to play out. "Uhh, eight? And how about I take you out for dessert?"

"Sounds good."

There was a loud slam on the table. Everyone turned to look at Natsu, whose face was scrunched in undeniable anger. Nobody had ever seen him this angry before and it frightened them all to the core- except for Lucy, who was too mad to care. The pink-haired boy got up from his seat and marched away.

Lucy returned her gaze back to her half of the sandwich. She angrily nibbled at it. There were a few awkward coughs, but everyone remained silent for the most part.

"So…" Levy finally started to break the awful tension in the air. "Should I come over later to help you get dressed for your first date?"

"Thanks, Levy-chan, but I think I've got it under control," Lucy replied.

" _This date is going to be the best damn date in my entire life."_

 **AN:** Don't kill me! :D I love the next chapters, especially the ones that I've recently written. Gosh I just love this story! Anyways, stay tuned! :D

 **Cookie panda-roo:** Yes they did kiss! :D And well, Lucy is still denying her feelings but at least Natsu finally realized his! :D And yes, poor Lisanna. But Nalu is the number one OTP so she will have to move on haha! And I'm so glad it made you feel better after a sucky day :)

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** HAHA THANKS I'M SURE YOU'RE HAVING THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE REACTION OF THIS CHAPTER HUH?

 **Sidjr100:** Thank you I hope your brain is still intact after this chapter. :)

 **XxxKittehxxx:** Yes they are and it gets even worse later! :D And thank you :)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you haha! :) Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations! :D

 **Iamtlani13:** You're welcome you're welcome you're welcome! :D Thanks for an awesome review! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Well, it's actually especially Natsu. Not Lucy haha! :D


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Hi guys! :D We're officially over halfway done with the story! :D New Beginnings is set to end on chapter 25 followed by an epilogue! Glad you guys are sticking through with the story to the end!

Chapter 14

Lucy was locked up in her room, raiding her closet for something to wear for her first date. Well, that wasn't true. She had actually been on many dates in her life. Though, those were all arranged by her father and were supervised by her "managers." This was the first _real_ date in her life, and she would be damned if she didn't look good for it.

Lucy always dreamed of having the perfect first date when she was a child. The blonde always imagined a knight in shining armor sweeping her off of her feet for a long walk at the beach or a picnic at the park. Something simple yet memorable. Sure, Loke could definitely play the part of her knight, but the girl knew nothing was ever going to happen between the two. While they may have pretended to get married when they were kids, Loke's heart was already taken by a shy girl in Lucy's history class named Aries. Besides, she would never view the playboy as anything more than a close friend. That would just be weird.

Yet, Lucy was still determined to make this night the best because even though no relationship would sprout from it, this date still meant something to her. It was the first date she willingly accepted and it was with her oldest friend. But Lucy knew there was something more to it that had to do with a certain pink-haired friend of hers. Yes, the girl wanted to provoke Natsu. After feeling her freedom threatened by her best friend, the blonde knew she had to put him in his place. And this date was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Thus, Lucy agitatedly slipped on her heels and strode to her mirror to admire herself and she had to admit that she looked good. Her golden haired was curled and then brushed through to create magnificent waves similar to Mira's. There was a light layer of makeup on her face, nothing too fancy though. Just a little mascara and eyeliner along with a sheer lip gloss. Lucy's outfit was what she was most proud of. The blonde was clad in a white dress that flowed just before her knees. It was flowy and free with sleeves that stopped just below her elbows. She felt like a fairy princess from one of her novels and she loved it.

There was a knock at the door and Lucy knew it was finally time. Throwing it open, the blonde greeted her childhood friend with an eager smile. Loke returned the gesture with a smile of his own and the two hooked elbows and were quickly on their way.

"You look great, Lucy," Loke said. He looked good himself as he was in a nice dress shirt and black pants. He even removed his glasses that he was so used to wearing for the occasion.

"Thanks. You clean up nicely too," Lucy replied.

"What are you talking about? I always look this good!"

The two shared a laugh and were quickly approaching downtown Magnolia. There were many stands on the streets, many objects catching Lucy's attention. For the time being, her anger with Natsu was completely forgotten and she was able to enjoy the starry night date. Approaching a crepe stand, Lucy's brown eyes widened at the sight of the delicious pastries.

"I love crepes!" she exclaimed, looking over the pictures to see which one she wanted the most.

"I know you do. You used to ask my mom to make us crepes for dessert every night," Loke replied, amused with the blonde's excitement.

"I don't remember that at all! You're paying right?"

"Of course."

"Good. I didn't bring my wallet."

Lucy ordered a nutella and strawberry crepe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. With the way the chefs rolled the pastry, the ice cream was on the top of the cone-like crepe. They added two chocolate chips to the vanilla ice cream for eyes and added an end of an ice cream cone for a nose.

"Hey, doesn't this look like the dog plush I had when I was a kid!?" Lucy eagerly asked, shoving the crepe into Loke's face.

"If you're talking about the _snowman_ plush, then yes it really does," Loke agreed. "What was his name again?"

"Plue!"

The orange-haired boy smirked and replied, "Ahh, how could I have forgotten dear old Plue. You used to drag that thing all around the mansion."

"He was my only friend when you weren't able to play with me."

The two walked towards a bench and ate their crepes in peace. Loke's crepe was made to look like a cute lion. Cool as it was, Lucy preferred her Plue-like crepe. They munched on their dessert in comfortable silence, both looking at the starry sky above them. Both loved the constellations when they were kids and it seemed their love for it never died down.

"So why exactly did you ask me on this date?" Lucy asked once she finished her crepe. There was a small smile on her face as she continued to stare up at the sky.

"Because I want to be with you, of course," Loke answered, slinging an arm over the blonde's shoulder.

"No you don't. You're my oldest friend, Loke. I can read you like a book no matter how much you try to hide your feelings," Lucy replied.

Loke fidgeted in his seat, his usual confidence gone. "Well what is it I feel then?"

"Loneliness. I know you're scared of love since your dad ran out on you and your mom so you never give it a chance. Even though your mom remarried a wonderful man you're still scared of love. That's why you are the school's playboy and flirt with any girl you see. But that one girl, Aries, right? It's obvious she's tearing down your walls."

"Alright, Lucy. You got me," Loke said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But I'm not the only one that doesn't give love a chance."

Lucy raised a brow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Let me put it like this: Aries is tearing down my walls. Who's tearing down yours?"

Lucy's eyes widened at the question. Walls? What walls? She had never been afraid of love and always embraced the idea. Hell, she used to dream of her knight in shining armor rescuing her from the mansion.

"I don't have any walls like that. Not towards love," Lucy finally said. "Sure, I am nervous of meeting new people, but I'm sure that if I met the one I would give him a chance immediately, unlike you and Aries."

"Oh c'mon, Lucy. You used to hate boys because of all the arranged marriages you were almost forced into. You're more afraid than I am. And that's why you are too blind to notice that your true prince has been in front of you the whole time."

Lucy let out an exasperated sigh. "Then enlighten me, Loke. Just who is this _true prince_ you speak of?"

Loke smirked and returned his attention back to the sky. "I'm not going to tell you. That's something you have to figure out on your own, Princess."

"You exhaust me." Lucy stood up and raised her arms above her head in a stretch. "Well, it's been a lovely night. Thank you for a nice first date."

The playboy rose as well and hooked elbows with his childhood friend. "I'm glad I was your first date so that no asshole ruined it for you."

The two began to chat idly as they made their way to Lucy's apartment. It was a short date, barely lasting over an hour, but it was very enjoyable for them both. It allowed them to lower their guards and reminisce their time at the mansion. It also gave them time to have a much needed conversation about their struggling love lives.

"Make sure you give it a shot with Aries, alright?" Lucy said once they were outside of her apartment.

"I'll try my best," Loke replied. He brought the girl's slender hand up to his lips and delivered a chaste kiss. "You just try to open your eyes to the boy that would kill for you. Until next time, Princess."

With that, the orange-haired boy was descending the steps and was walking back to his own place, leaving Lucy alone for the night. The blonde let out a sigh of relief as she was finally able to remove the heels that had been killing her feet during the past hour. Quickly changing into some pajamas, the girl plopped onto her bed with another heavy sigh. While the night with her childhood friend had been enjoyable, there was no doubt that she felt lonely now that it was over. There was also something else stirring inside of her. Guilt.

Lucy didn't know why she felt so guilty. Sure, she knew it was because she went on a date with Loke that Natsu was so adamantly against. But she didn't know _why_ that made her feel guilty. It was her own choice to make, not Natsu's. So why did she feel bad?

Grabbing her phone that had been untouched since she had gotten home that day, Lucy wasn't surprised that there were no notifications. Even the group chat that was usually bustling with texts- even more so since it was a Friday night- was bare. She knew it was because of the tension she and Natsu had between them. Part of her wanted to text them to relieve them of awkward vibes, but the other part of her knew she shouldn't. At least not until she and Natsu made amends. Thus, she decided to text a certain angry pyro instead.

"Hey, Natsu," she typed rather lamely. She didn't know what to say and that was all she could think of.

Despite Natsu's usually quick texting speed, Lucy found herself waiting five minutes before she finally received a reply.

"Shouldn't you be on a date?" he replied.

Lucy could practically feel the anger from her phone. "Just finished. Can we talk?"

"About what?"

"Don't play dumb."

"I don't have anything to say about it."

"Yes you do." Lucy could feel herself growing irritated with Natsu's replies but forced herself to take a deep breath. Getting mad won't solve anything. When she didn't receive a text in five minutes, she pressed the green phone icon and called her best friend.

To which he declined.

So she called again.

Only to be met with rejection once more.

"You know what?" Lucy typed furiously. "Screw you, Dragneel."

Once she saw that she wasn't getting a reply from her soon to be former best friend, the blonde turned her attention to the group chat.

"Hey guys," she typed.

 **Levy:** Lu-chan! How was your date? ;)

 **Juvia:** Should we be talking about that in here?

 **Levy:** I don't see why not. It was Lu-chan's first date and I wanna hear all about it.

 **Gray:** Oh boy

 **Lucy:** It was really fun! We went and got crepes and the chefs decorate them and make them look cool! We mainly just talked and stuff about the past but it was still fun!

 **Cana:** Did he kiss you?

Lucy was about to reply when there was a notification at the bottom of the group chat. It froze her body and made her regret talking about her date. Now she felt even more guilty than before, though she still didn't know why.

 _Natsu has left the group chat._

 **AN:** I'M SURE YOU ARE ALL MAD AT ME BUT I LOVE THE DRAMA AND ANGST! :D AND BTW I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOVE THE NEXT CHAPTER SO LOOK FORWARD TO IT. And your reviews are hilarious! Some people are siding with Natsu while others are siding with Lucy it's funny haha. :)

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Thank you very much for another kind review! :D

 **Cookie panda-roo:** I feel like in the actual manga, Lucy is just in denial about her feelings so I suppose that does make her the dense one! :D I agree! I think Natsu knows damn well how he feels and just doesn't say anything about it! That's why he stays silent most of the time when people tease their relationship! :D Nalu for life! :D

 **XxxKittehxxx:** Thank you I think the first half of the chapter was cute too until finally it got anger-filled! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Yes she did! But Natsu infuriated her too so I guess they're even! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** YES I DID DO IT ON PURPOSE BECAUSE I LIVE FOR THE DRAMA. I PROMISE THINGS WILL WORK OUT... EVENTUALLY! :D

 **Crystal Kitty842:** I always update fast I think! :D Thank you for the nice review! :D

 **AFineMess101:** Thank you so much that was very kind! :)

 **LeggycluckerNekoNeko:** A jealous Natsu is an awesome Natsu huh?

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I know it did I'm sorry! :D

 **Sidjr100:** Nalu for life! :D

 **31:** Oh Gray didn't tell Loke to ask Lucy out! He just told him to flirt a little because he wanted Natsu to act on his feelings already! Thanks for the review though! :)

 **Iamtlani13:** Oh darn now I am dead then haha! :D

 **Alexa60765:** The gang were too busy thinking about other things and that's why they didn't bring up the whole mansion thing! But it will be brought up! :)

 **Fairyfan8:** NATSU REALIZED HIS IT'S ALL UP TO LUCY NOW! BE PATIENT YOUNG ONE IT WILL HAPPEN SOON I PROMISE!

 **Guest:** Yes it is their first fight haha! :) But they will work it out and it will be amazing! :)


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** YAY WE ARE AT 100 REVIEWS THANKS SO MUCH GUYS. You guys are hilarious, you know that? Always keeping me entertained! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I personally loved it lol. I live for drama and angst. But don't worry, it'll all be cleared up soon! ;D

Chapter 15

The weekend Natsu left the group chat went by in a blur. A couple of them asked why he had left, but deep down they all knew why. It was all because of Lucy's date with Loke. Since then, the blonde hadn't spoken to any of her friends and even wondered about leaving the group chat herself. After all, it wasn't the same without Natsu in it. Instead, she settled for leaving her phone untouched.

It was now Sunday night and Lucy still hadn't heard from Natsu. After everything that happened, however, she wasn't itching to text him any time soon. Instead, she waited for an apology. Of course she felt bad at first. How could she not? Her best friend left the group chat because she was boasting about her date. Yet the blonde still couldn't forgive him nor could she shoulder all of the blame.

" _He shouldn't have tried forcing me not to go on that stupid date and he shouldn't have turned me away when I tried to talk to him about it,"_ Lucy thought as she absentmindedly brushed her teeth.

Throwing on her pajamas, she checked her phone one last time and frowned as there were no notifications. Thus, Lucy rolled over and forced herself to sleep.

The next morning passed by just as quickly as Lucy got ready for school. It was a boring pattern that consisted of getting dressed and throwing on her uniform. The only thing that was different was that there wasn't a pink-headed pyro waiting outside her door. Thus, the blonde started her terribly lonely walk to school with a heavy sigh.

* * *

"Good morning, Lucy," Erza greeted the clearly exhausted blonde.

"Morning," Lucy lazily replied, slouching in her seat.

"Have you and Natsu made up yet?"

"Nope."

The redheaded teen sighed. "And why not?"

"Because he hasn't tried talking to me."

"Why don't you try talking to him?"

"Tried that. He just blew me off."

Erza was about to urge the blonde to continue trying with their stubborn friend but Wakaba entered, signaling the start of class. And the red-head was never one to talk when class started. So with great reluctance, she kept her mouth shut and payed attention to the lecture. She was going to let Lucy and Natsu deal with this problem on their own. And hopefully they did it soon.

Eventually it was time for chemistry. Lucy didn't mind this class so much as some of her other classes, especially since three of her friends shared the class with her. She and Gray ended up having time together to work on their project and scored a solid A on the project and now it was time for another group experiment. Luckily, this one would be done in class and required four students in each group- besides one group of three as the number of students wasn't divisible by four. Much to their delight, the students were allowed to pick their own groups. Thus, Lucy and her three friends sat at a lab table, enjoying their time to the fullest of their ability though there was still a tense vibe in the air. Finally, Gray cut through the tension as he spoke.

"So, Lucy," he began and the blonde knew exactly where the conversation was headed. "I gotta apologize to you."

The blonde was surprised by the boy's words and raised a brow. "Why?"

"It's my fault that Natsu is mad at you," the dark-haired boy said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly with his confession. "I told Loke to make him jealous and I guess his way of doing that was asking you out. I didn't know that he was going to get _that_ jealous."

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "It's not your fault. It's Natsu's. I don't know why he's so mad over this anyways. It doesn't even concern him."

Gray stared at the oblivious girl incredulously. Then he glanced at the two blunettes- who eventually put the pieces together and realized Natsu's feelings, it wasn't hard after all. He felt a bit agitated at Lucy's density. "Are you serious, Lucy? You have _no_ idea whatsoever why he's so angry about it?"

"What, do you?"

"C'mon Lucy, it's obvious! You're one of the smartest girls in school, don't play dumb about this!"

"Gray-sama…" Juvia worriedly whispered. She knew just what the boy was trying to say and wanted to stop him before he spilled a secret that wasn't his to tell. Not to mention the fact that he was being rude to their friend.

"No, Juvia. I have to say this. As much as Natsu annoys the hell out of me I want him to be happy," Gray said.

Lucy scowled at her friend, quickly becoming angry over Gray's new tone. "And what exactly do you have to say, Gray?"

"Think about it, Lucy! Why else would Natsu be jealous about you going on a date with another guy!?" the boy said, his voice raising with every word. Macao was wading towards the group, hoping to get the group to calm down. "I know you know how he feels about you!"

The blonde gaped at her friend as if he had grown two more heads. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He loves you! Don't act as if you're blind to it! You love him too!"

Just as Macao reached the group, Lucy slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "Don't act as if you know my feelings better than I do, Fullbuster. _Especially_ when you can't even admit your own damn feelings for Juvia!" The blonde then hastily snatched her things and carried them to the group of three and plopped down next to them. There was no way she would be able to work on the project now that even she and _Gray_ were fighting. Could her week get any worse?

Once the bell rang for lunch, Lucy quickly packed her things and made her way out the door, not sparing a glance towards her friends. There was no way she was going to eat lunch with them knowing that Natsu would be there along with a now fuming Gray. Thus, she strode through the halls with her head raised tall to the place she first ate lunch when she arrived at Fairy Tail High: the library. Taking a seat where she used to eat, the girl plopped into it with a loud groan. She buried her head in her arms on the table. She now had a migraine from all of the yelling and wanted nothing more than to sit in silence and take a nap. But of course, things never turned out the way she wanted.

"I figured you would come here," a familiar voice rang out as Lucy heard the seat next to her pull out from the table.

"Levy-chan, I'm sorry but I kinda want to be alone right now," Lucy replied, lifting her head from her arms.

The petite girl shrugged and ate her lunch, dismissing her friend's feelings. "I'll just bug you for the first half of lunch and then go back to the rest of the group for the second half. I'm not going to leave my best friend alone when she's upset without even talking to her."

Lucy gratefully smiled at her friend and nodded her head, accepting that Levy wouldn't take no for an answer. "I'm sure you're mad at me too though."

"I'm not mad at you at all. It takes longer for some people to figure things out and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. You're a little dense, but that's okay. Gray shouldn't have said all of that earlier and he shouldn't have made Loke do that."

"So you think Natsu likes me too huh?"

"Of course! And I know you like him too! But I was at least going to let you figure things out on your own unlike Gray."

Lucy sighed exasperatedly. "I _don't_ like Natsu though. And he doesn't like me either! Hell, I'm not even sure if we're still friends."

Levy rubbed the girl's arm comfortingly and replied, "You guys are. It's just a fight. You guys will get over it soon, I promise."

The blonde sighed once again and the two girls hugged. Levy was such a great friend, Lucy was thankful to have her in her life. The two then changed subjects, talking about random things and enjoying their time together. Eventually, the halfway bell rang and Levy packed her things to join the rest of her group.

"You sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Levy asked, worry glinting in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you though, Levy-chan," Lucy answered, shooing her friend away. When the petite girl finally left, the blonde decided to start her homework, just like she used to do during lunch before she met all of her other friends. She prayed these rough times would end soon.

* * *

Levy strut into the cafeteria and quickly spotted her target. Once she approached him, she balled her dominant hand into a fist and harshly punched the boy on his upper arm.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for, Levy?" Gray asked, rubbing the soon-to-be bruised spot. For such a small girl, she sure packed a punch.

"That was for being an idiot and upsetting Lucy!" Levy answered, taking her spot next to Juvia- who though she loved Gray, agreed with the small girl's actions. That was when Levy noticed Natsu was at the table and was staring at them curiously.

"You upset Lucy?" the pink-haired boy asked, his lips tugging downwards into a frown as his eyebrows furrowed.

Gray shrugged and answered, "I only said what needed to be said."

"And what exactly is that?" Erza questioned. She wanted to beat the boy as well but managed to control herself somehow. It's bad enough somebody like _Levy_ was getting violent.

"I apologized for sending Loke to make Natsu jealous-"

"You did what!?" Natsu interrupted, about ready to leap over the table and strangle his friend.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Anyways, she was acting as if it didn't make sense that you were angry and it made me mad and I guess we both just got angry I don't really know it happened really fast."

Juvia sighed at her almost-boyfriend's idiocy. Natsu simply sat frozen in his chair, not knowing what to say. It was clear that Gray was just trying to help him, but it felt like the situation just got a whole lot worse. He then did what he felt was best and socked his rival square in the jaw.

"That's for hurting Lucy," he said, sitting back down.

Levy then got up and startled the group as she raised a fist and swiftly brought it to Natsu's cheek in another hard punch. It was like there was a punching fest in the cafeteria with how many punches were being thrown that day.

"That's for hurting Lucy too," she said, taking her own seat.

The day just wasn't good for any of them at this point.

* * *

Lucy sighed as she placed her stuff in her locker, finally able to leave school for the day. This was their last week before Christmas break. Though the blonde was happy she wouldn't have to come back to school for another two weeks, she was also saddened by the fact that she had nobody to spend the break with. Not to mention Christmas. After all, she and Natsu agreed to spend the holiday together, but it seemed as though they weren't friends anymore so that plan quickly crumbled.

Walking through the snowy town of Magnolia, Lucy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to find warmth. It was futile, however, and the girl quickly regretted not buying any winter clothing.

" _Usually Natsu is here to warm me up,"_ she thought, glum once again by her missing best friend, who was soon becoming a _former_ best friend. Shaking her head, the girl forced a smile to her face and fastened her pace. " _I can't let this get me down anymore. I still have wonderful friends, I shouldn't be sad because it didn't work out with one of them!"_

Though she knew that was an utter lie. Natsu was different. Undeniably different. He knew her secrets, tore down her walls, and even visited her parents' graves with her- though she didn't know he was there at first. He made her laugh until her stomach hurt and she shed happy tears. He hugged her when she was sad and did everything he could to cheer her up. He teased her, helped her, and most of all he made her feel like a real person with feelings rather than a money bag. No, he wasn't just a friend. He was her most treasured friend, one that she wanted around forever. But she wasn't going to apologize when she did nothing wrong, she stopped doing that after she made amends with her father. Thus, if Natsu never came back to her, so be it.

Sighing for the upmost time that day, Lucy opened her front door and threw off her shoes. The day had been long and stressful. Her head still painfully pounded and had only gotten worse after her walk home through the snow without her personal heater. Perhaps that was why she didn't see the boy sitting on her couch as she went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot chocolate. Opening the cabinet, the girl could feel her eyes drooping closed and she was struggling to stay conscious. She pulled out a mug and was heading towards the counter. Her eyes fluttered closed and she could feel herself falling.

There was a loud shattering noise, probably the mug as it fell onto the hardwood floor. Lucy embraced herself for her own fall, preparing for the bruises that were sure to come. Much to her surprise, they never did. Instead, two firm arms quickly clasped around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace. Lucy could feel warmth emanating from the person and snuggled closer.

"You really gotta be more careful, Luce."

 **AN:** Just as promised, all the drama will be ending soon between Lucy and Natsu! :) So stick around for the make-up and leave a nice review! :)

 **Sidjr100:** It did get crazy up in here. But now it's going to be less crazy.

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Good luck figuring everything out because I can guarantee almost every chapter ends with an incredible cliffhanger! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** THEY WILL WORK OUT. SOON. ALREADY WORKING UP TO IT.

 **Cookie panda-roo:** Yes, both are being stupid! :D And yes, drama is amazing! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Oh yes she definitely notices haha! She's just too mad to care! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Guess you'll have to find out in the next chapter! :D Thanks again! :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THEY WILL. EVENTUALLY.

 **HopelessRomantic2018:** I'm glad you found this story! :D And yes, nalu is the best ship in Fairy Tail! :D And thank you so much, I try to keep the characters as in character as possible haha!

 **Dogsrcool5:** Thank you for the review hope you didn't have to wait too long!

 **Guest:** DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE CLIFFHANGERS!? :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Thank you so much! :D And I can't tell you when the nalu is coming or else it would ruin the surprise! (VERY SOON.)

 **Iamtlani13:** HAHAHA NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE! IT'LL BE WORTH THE WAIT.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Alright, I'm sure you are all happy to hear that they are finally making up haha! :) I promise it was worth the wait though! BIG BIG BIG STUFF THIS CHAPTER AND IT'S A LITTLE... BAD SO IDK JUST A HEADS UP. BTW, my first nalu story Better Together is in two communities, and I don't know if that's a normal thing or not but I felt so proud. :') Anyways, here's the chapter!

Chapter 16

 _It was a bright and sunny morning. Birds were chirping a melodious tune outside while grass swayed in the breeze. Lucy could smell the sweet aroma of fresh chocolate chip pancakes- which was a huge surprise granted how ginormous the mansion was and how far away her bedroom was from the kitchen. Nonetheless, the blonde child smiled as the sweet scent filled her nostrils. There was a light knock at the door, followed by someone entering._

 _"Good morning, Lucy," a soothing voice called out to the child._

 _Lucy's brown eyes widened as an incredibly bright smile graced her lips._

 _"Mama!" she cried out, running towards her mother. Running into the woman with full force, Lucy giggled as her mom crouched down and pulled her into a tight hug._

 _"You are always so energetic!" Layla said, grabbing her daughter's hand. "Now, let's go have some pancakes, shall we?"_

 _Lucy nodded and squeezed her mother's hand affectionately. Though her father was busy working, the days were actually delightful with her mother still around. It was her mother that lit up the horrid mansion, and it was her mother that made her father smile. It was also her that unintentionally took his smile away, along with Lucy's._

 _It was around Christmas time ten years ago when it all happened. Though Lucy was a child, she was well aware of the fit of coughs and fevers her mother had been getting for the past few months. She didn't know what brought them all, and neither did the doctors- which Lucy found out as she eavesdropped on her parents' conversation with the doctors. It was a snowy day and the blonde child wanted to play in the snow with her mother as her father was currently out of town._

 _Lucy ran throughout the mansion with an eager smile glued to her face. She rushed through maids and butlers and avoided running into obstacles on the way until she finally approached her mother's study. Opening the grand doors, the small child's smile instantly vanished at the sight in front of her._

 _There in the center of the room was her mother, laying on the floor unconscious. At first Lucy was still, petrified and unable to move a muscle. Then it was as if a spell had been lifted and she ran towards her mother, weeping and yelling her name. Shaking the woman, the blonde tried her best to wake her, praying to every god she knew the name of to be able to see her mother's brown eyes again. She prayed her mother was alright._

 _A few of the staff ran in, panicked just as Lucy was. After all, Layla was loved by all in the mansion. Ms. Spetto took Lucy into her arms and pried her off of her mother so that they could call their doctors in. The doctors came quickly and ushered the woman into the room that they always took Layla whenever she fell ill. The blonde child waited loyally by her mother's side. Her mother was strong. There was no way she was going to die. She couldn't._

 _One of the doctors came back into the room, holding papers in his hands. There was a glum look on his face, his shoulders sagged. Lucy stared at him worried. Her heart stopped once she saw the man shake his head with a frown._

 _"I'm sorry, child. Your mother isn't going to make it. There is nothing we can do at this point. If she wakes up from this, I am afraid it will most likely be the last time you get the chance to speak with her as she doesn't have much time left," the man said. "D-Do you know when your father is going to return? There are some serious issues we must discuss with him."_

 _Lucy ignored his question as large tears instantly filled her eyes. Her vision was blurred immediately and she brought her small hands to her face. She clenched her hair, hoping that the pain of the tugging would relieve the pain she felt in her heart. Her mother was going to die._

 _"Miss Heartfilia," the doctor urged. "Please, I must know when your father is going to come home. It is imperative to your safety and is about your mother's conditions."_

 _"L-Lucy," a strained voice rang out._

 _The blonde child whipped her head towards the sound of her mother's voice and leapt into her embrace._

 _"Mama, please don't go!" she cried out, holding onto her mom for dear life._

 _"I'm sorry, Lucy," Layla replied, a small smile etched on her lips. "Do not be sad, everyone goes through this eventually, my dear. Now, Mr. Jones, my husband was supposed to come back tomorrow. Please make sure he knows what happened and make sure he protects my Lucy."_

 _The man in the room fought back tears as he nodded his head and left the room so that the two could have their last moments together in private._

 _"Mama, you aren't going to die!" Lucy shouted, still weeping uncontrollably. "Y-You can't! You can't leave me!"_

 _"Lucy, look at me child." The girl did as she was told and faced her mother, her face still full of tears. "You are your father and I's pride and joy. I am so lucky to have been able to watch you grow for seven whole years and I know that you will spend the rest of your life continuing making us proud." Tears finally gathered in Layla's chocolate brown eyes as she continued. "I will always love you as you are my beloved daughter…" Her eyes slowly began to droop shut. "Tell your father… tell him that I love him… I love you, Lucy…" And with that, Layla Heartfilia's eyes closed and never opened once again._

 _Lucy's cries echoed throughout the mansion for days, filling the hearts of those around with even more sadness. Everyone had loved Layla to the bottom of their hearts. Or so she thought._

"Hey, Lucy," the blonde heard as she felt someone gently shaking her awake. She opened her eyes to find Natsu sitting beside her bed with a worried expression. "Are you okay? You're crying…"

Lucy brought her hands to her cheeks and sure enough there were fresh tears streaming down her face. This was a normal thing when she dreamt about her mother, she really shouldn't have been surprised. If anything, she should've been more shocked about the boy sitting in front of her.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Lucy finally asked. Last thing she remembered she was in her kitchen about to make hot chocolate and then things went black. Now she was sitting up in bed with Natsu by her side.

The pink-haired boy brushed away at the tears that stained his friend's cheek as he answered, "I wanted to talk to you. Now I'm worried about you."

Lucy shook her head. "There's nothing to worry about." Before Natsu could object, she continued. "So what did you want to talk about?"

The boy frowned and replied, "I think the answer to that is a little obvious. Look Lucy, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad and tried to control you and forbid you from going on that dumb date. And I shouldn't have blown you off when you tried talking to me about it."

Lucy's eyes widened and a light pink dusted her cheeks. She recalled Gray's words from earlier.

 _"He loves you! Don't act as if you're blind to it! You love him too!"_

The blonde shook her head and punched herself lightly on her skull, ignoring her friend's questioning look.

" _There's no way he loves me. Gray is just an idiot!"_

Yet she knew that she needed to hear it for herself.

"Say, Natsu…" the girl began, avoiding Natsu's piercing gaze. "W-Why exactly did you get so mad in the first place?"

There was a brief moment of silence until finally the boy spoke again.

"I don't know," he answered in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I-I don't know I just did!"

Lucy lightly punched her friend and pouted. "Natsu Dragneel you better tell me the truth or else!"

"Or else what?" Natsu shot back with a scowl.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. They could practically feel the imaginary sparks that shot between their heads. Without thinking, Lucy quickly changed her position so that her body was facing Natsu and her legs were hanging off the bed. Devoid of any hesitation, she leaned forward and pecked his cheek lightly with a soft kiss.

"That's what," she said as she pulled away. Then, she began to regret it as she thought about her actions. Her cheeks instantly blazed and she fought the urge to shoo the boy out of her apartment. Slowly lifting her gaze to see Natsu's reaction, she was shocked to find that he was staring at her incredulously, his eyes shot open wide and his mouth hanging on its hinges. Not to mention the furious blush he was sporting.

Lucy attempted to break the silence as she awkwardly chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "S-Sorry. I guess I got ahead of myself. I kinda wanted to test something out…"

Natsu continued to stare into her eyes, onyx boring into brown. Swallowing loudly, he finally mustered up a question. "D-Did you get what you wanted from the test?"

"I don't know…"

They continued to stare into each other's eyes until finally Natsu tore his gaze away, his cheeks still flaming from the small contact. Eventually, he calmed down and faced the girl once again, this time his face more serious as there was a worried glint in his eye.

"Wanna tell me what you were dreaming about?" he asked.

Lucy immediately shook her head. "It's nothing, Natsu."

"You can't lie to me, Lucy. Please tell me."

Lucy could hear the desperation in his voice. Sighing, she nodded her head. "A-Alright. Just know that you are the only person I've told this and I would prefer it if you didn't tell anyone…"

"You can trust me, Lucy. I promise I won't tell a single soul."

"Alright… I just had a dream about my mother. Well, more like a flashback I guess… It was from the day she died…"

"She passed from illness, right?"

"…That's what we told the media… The truth is she was killed."

Natsu's eyes shot open and his breath hitched in his throat. He immediately regretted urging Lucy to tell him about her dream.

The blonde decided to continue her story. "I only know this from eavesdropping on my father's conversation with the doctor. It's true that my mother was very ill, but that wasn't what killed her. The doctors were sure that she would've lived at least a few more years if it hadn't been for _him."_

Natsu could see the hatred glinting in her eyes and it made him hate whoever she was talking about as well for making his usually bubbly love into someone angry. But he decided to stay silent.

Lucy then continued, "There was a butler at our mansion, Zoldeo. He always had this wicked grin and I remember I was always afraid of him. I refused to be alone with him. My mother told me that he was a kind man, but the evil grin he had told me otherwise. Apparently, he was in love with my mother for the years he'd been working there. He confessed his love to her and she politely shut him down. I guess after that he poisoned my mother's food. The doctors said that if it weren't for the fact that she was ill they probably would've been able to save her. But the constant sickness took its toll on her body and with the addition of the poison spreading through her body there was nothing they could do. And I guess that's it…"

"What happened to Zoldeo?" Natsu quietly asked, scared of hurting Lucy any further.

"He was immediately arrested."

Tears flowed from Lucy's eyes the entire time she told her story, but she didn't mind. Being around Natsu, she wasn't embarrassed to cry. It didn't make her feel weak. Instead, it made her feel even closer to the boy, like their bond had been strengthened.

"That must be _another_ reason you don't trust people," Natsu finally said with a frown.

Lucy smiled at the boy. "Yeah."

Natsu stood up and wrapped his arms around the girl. Lucy wasn't surprised; Natsu always comforted her with a silent hug. The embrace was tight and lasted for a long time. When the boy finally pulled away, they stared into each other's eyes longingly. The blonde didn't understand her feelings at all, she just knew that she wanted to close the gap between them. And so she did.

 **AN:** HAHAHAHA TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE WORTH THE WAIT. And some deep stuff from Lucy's past, how exciting! :D Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I think the next chapter ends without one for once so you're welcome! :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** YES HE DID AND LOOK AT HOW AWESOME IT TURNED OUT BECAUSE OF IT!

 **Cookie panda-roo:** Yes Gray was an idiot, but he was a caring idiot at least! :D And aww I'm sorry but there will be no more of Natsu sulking, but at least there will be some amazing Nalu moments! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you so much! Gray and Lucy are my brotp so a fight between them excites me haha!

 **Sidjr100:** HAHA I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW YOU'RE FEELING AFTER THIS CLIFFHANGER.

 **Yomi14:** The group will have some Christmas fun, I can guarantee that! ;)

 **Mavis Senpai:** Thank you! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Thank you so much for supporting both stories! Means a lot to me! :D And I think the next chapter doesn't have a cliffhanger so you're welcome! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Haha at least there's a bit less suspense now? :D Maybe haha!

 **Dogsrcool5:** I will, thank you for the review! :)

 **XxxKittehxxx:** Hahaha and this ending though! :D

 **Guest:** Thank you thank you thank you! :D

 **Brynn chan:** I will supply more then! :D

 **Iamtlani13:** You asked for the nalu scenes... so here it is! :D And it's completely fine to ask! Hope this isn't offensive to anyone but I am an atheist!

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Tbh I'm a bit confused about your review about Gajeel and Jellal! If you're wondering where they are for the group chat, they are not in it yet! If you're talking about during lunch, they both have a different lunchtime, and if you're talking about my story in general, then they have both made appearances, especially Gajeel! Maybe you didn't notice? D: If none of these answered your question, feel free to ask again hahaha!

 **Alexa60765:** You always have such an active imagination haha! And that is why I keep telling you to write stories! :D

 **Sophia the daughter of Nyx:** Thank you! :D

 **Npcmarina:** Though I love drama, I'm also glad that it's gone so we can get to the nalu fluffiness! :)

 **Guest:** Omg I know. Thanks for the review haha. :)

 **Lazyfangirl:** Well, not so much a confession, but some KISSES! :D That should be good enough for now! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** You guys should all be happy that this chapter is one of the few that doesn't end with a cliffhanger. You're welcome haha! :D Short chapter, but hope you enjoy anyways!

Chapter 17

It was a quick kiss that only lasted a couple seconds, but its affects were significant. Pulling away and gazing into each other's eyes, they both could feel something lingering between them, but Lucy wasn't sure what it was. Brown bore into onyx for what seemed like an eternity in silence, neither of the two knowing how to break the ice. They were in an awkward stalemate of epic proportions until Natsu finally caved.

"What was that for, weirdo?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"I-I have no idea," Lucy answered truthfully. Why did she kiss him? Was it because she spilled her secret with him? Or was it because he had taken care of her when she was sick and did it in a way of thanks? Her face contorted from one of confusion into one of utter mortification. "Oh Mavis, I just _kissed_ you! I-I'm so sorry, Natsu! I promise it won't happen again!"

Natsu frowned and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Looks like he wasn't the densest in the group after all. "I-It's fine, Luce."

"No it isn't!" the blonde persisted, standing from her bed and pacing around her room. "Now things are going to be awkward between us!"

"What do you mean? It's only awkward if you make it awkward, Luce."

"It was just awkward a few seconds ago! If I didn't kiss you this wouldn't be happening in the first place! I don't know what got over me! You aren't even my type!"

Natsu chuckled and replied, "Clearly I am with how much you lose control around me."

Lucy shot daggers at the boy with her eyes. "Hush, Dragneel."

The boy only laughed more, causing Lucy to cover her mortified face with her hands. They were interrupted when Lucy's phone rang twice. Picking it up, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment, she saw that it was the group chat.

 _Gajeel has been added to the group chat._

 **Gajeel:** Oi, Levy! I didn't wanna be put in this stupid thing!  
 **Levy:** Too bad. You hang out with us all the time you might as well be in our group chat!

"Ugh, now metal breath is in the chat?" Natsu asked with a scowl.

"Oh, that reminds me," Lucy started, "do you want me to add you back? You left after… you know…"

Natsu chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I did sort of overreact."

Lucy smiled and quickly added him to their group chat. It relieved the blonde seeing the notification. This was how she had known Natsu after all. If it weren't for Levy and Erza forcing her into the group chat, she wouldn't have all of her friends along with her absolute best friend. The one that she could turn to in times of need. The one that made her laugh until her stomach hurt. The one that made her feel free. And that was why she kissed him. And _that_ was when the realization dawned on her. Natsu wasn't just her best friend. He was so much more than she was ready to admit. She was in love.

"U-Uhh," Lucy stammered, avoiding Natsu's wondering gaze. "Y-You should get going. I was going to invite Levy over for a sleepover."

The pink-haired boy smiled, ruffling her mane of golden hair. "You're such a terrible liar, Luce. It's Monday night and you never have sleepovers on school nights! But don't worry, I'll head out now. Gotta feed Happy!"

With one last goodbye, Natsu was heading out of the apartment, via window of course. Lucy plopped onto her bed once again. Picking up her phone, she saw that there were already a dozen new texts from the group chat. A smile etched itself onto Lucy's face. Everything was better now. There was no fighting- oh wait, Gray. She forgot all about that.

"Gray, can we talk?" Lucy typed into a private text.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you all day," she received no more than a minute later.

Lucy clicked the green phone icon, her heart thrashing against her ribs with every ring. She could only hope Gray would forgive her just as Natsu had.

"Hey, Lucy…" the boy greeted awkwardly as he answered the call.

"Hi, Gray," the blonde greeted in return with equal nervousness. "Listen-"

"I'm really sorry, Lucy!" Gray interrupted, desperation tinted in his voice. "It was dumb of me to send Loke on you and it was dumb of me to say all the shit I did in chemistry! If you say that you don't love Natsu, then I believe you! You're like a sister to me and I don't want you to hate me and-"

Lucy laughed, interrupting the dark-haired boy. "I don't hate you. I mean, it was dumb of you to send Loke on me like that. But I'm not mad anymore. In fact… I guess you were right about one thing…"

"Did Natsu confess to you or something!?"

The blonde sighed and shook her head, though Gray couldn't see. "No, that's what you were wrong about. Natsu doesn't like me…"

There was a pause until Gray finally put two and two together. "Wait, if I was right about something and it wasn't Natsu being in love with you… Then does that mean you're in love with Natsu!?"

Lucy cringed at the words and the volume of her friend's voice. "I-I don't know, truthfully… I don't even know what love is! B-But, today I kind of did something stupid and then my stomach did this thing that it's been doing lately and I was all warm and-"

"Lucy, what did you do?"

"I-I kissed him! Oh Mavis, tell me what to do, Gray!"

There was another pause before the boy burst into a fit of laughter. Lucy whined and ushered him to stop, but Gray only continued with his laughs.

"Okay, okay," Gray said after calming down. "You two just keep making things complicated. Just tell him how you feel."

Lucy scoffed and screeched, "Easy for you to say, Mr. I can't tell the girl that is obsessed with me that I love her back. You have the easy one, I don't. Hell, can we switch? I'll take Juvia over Natsu."

"As if. I would rather be caught dead than be with flame for brains. But you're right, it's a lot easier said than done. I really shouldn't give any advice on this kind of stuff."

Lucy contemplated asking a question she had been wondering since she had first met Gray. Mustering up her courage, she finally asked.

"Hey Gray," she began, "why don't you just tell Juvia? Everyone knows she'll accept your feelings."

There was a brief pause until Gray spoke. "That's a story for another time, sis. Anyways, I don't know if you're going to tell Natsu or not-"

"I'm not."

"Well, if you do, just know that even though he's dumb and may take a while to respond, he feels the same way about you." Lucy was about to retort when the boy spoke once again, seemingly expecting her to object. "Well, I'll talk to you in the group chat! Later, Lucy!"

Lucy shook her head with a sigh and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. That was when she remembered something- or _someone-_ that was also very important in all of this: Lisanna. The blonde hadn't forgotten her conversation with Natsu not too long ago in which he told her Lisanna had confessed to him. There was no way she could make any move on him when her dear friend had been in love with him for years.

" _I don't even know for sure if I love him. I could just be infatuated with him. And there's no way I would hurt Lisanna like that."_

Hearing her phone ring, she turned her attention back to the bustling group chat.

 **Levy:** Natsu, you're back!

 **Natsu:** Yeah, Lucy added me back!

 **Gray:** Damn, it's been so peaceful here without you.

 **Gajeel:** I should leave this thing now.

 **Levy:** Don't you dare.

 **Gajeel:** Fine.

 **Erza:** It's good to see everyone is here again. I take it that you apologized to Lucy?

 **Natsu:** Yep!

Lucy expected him to bring up the kiss but was glad that he didn't. Sure she told Gray about it, but other than that she wanted it to be a private thing between the two of them. She most certainly didn't want her friends to freak out over it. That would make things so much harder.

 **Lucy:** Gray and I made up too! By the way, let's all hang out tomorrow!

 **Erza:** That sounds nice. It's decided, we will all go to Lucy's apartment tomorrow after school.

"I didn't mean at my place," Lucy muttered to herself but didn't dare type into the group chat. After all, she had finally made amends with Natsu, it would be such a shame to die by Erza's hands soon after.

 **Lucy:** Alright, I'll make sure to make food for everyone!

 **Natsu:** Make sure it's spicy!

 **Lucy:** Of course. I wouldn't want to let the seven bottles of hot sauce that you forced me to buy go to waste.

 **Natsu:** There's only four left now. Should go buy more.

" _What? He went through three bottles that quickly!?"_

 **Gray:** Lucy you should have some ice cream there too.

 **Erza:** And strawberry shortcake will be expected.

 **Gajeel:** I want chips.

 **Levy:** Me too!

 **Cana:** I'll bring my own booze.

 **Juvia:** As long as Lucy has water, Juvia will be fine.

Lucy laughed at her friends demands. They sure were very comfortable with her apartment.

 **Lucy:** Sure, we'll swing by the grocery store first then come over to my place. Are you going to bring Jellal, Erza?

 **Erza:** I suppose I should.

 **Cana:** Ugh, that means I'll be the only single one there! I'll drag Lisanna with me.

 **Lucy:** Feel free to bring Lisanna, I haven't seen her in forever! But Cana, everyone here is single.

 **Cana:** Whatever you say, Natsu's girl.

There was a long bit of bantering before Lucy let out a loud yawn. She was amazed at how late her friends were able to make her stay up, even on school nights. Bringing the soft covers to just below her chin, the blonde closed her eyes with a content smile. Everything with her friends was fine again and she even found out her feelings towards a certain pink-haired boy. Though she would never act on those feelings, she had to admit that they were nice to have, not knowing of the pain they would soon bring to everyone around.

 **AN:** Is that a cliffhanger? Lol with all of the cliffhangers I've been making you guys endure I just don't see this ending as a cliffhanger haha!

 **FireShifter:** Yes they did! :D And thank you haha! I wanted to bring more of Lucy's past up and that was what came to mind! :)

 **Lunahartz:** Thank you very much! :) And close! You were actually second! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** She will eventually! Thanks for the review. :)

 **Magnificent dragoness:** I MEAN IT SORTA DOES. YES IT DOES. MAYBE. WE'LL SEE. Thank you! :D

 **Dogsrcool5:** I promise I will write more. :)

 **Brynn chan:** Thank you very much! :D And do kisses count as confessions? :D Just kidding, but they will come soon! :)

 **Golden Dreamcatcher:** Hey at least this one isn't a bad cliffhanger! :D And thank you so much! :)

 **Fairyfan8:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** YES NALU FOR THE WIN FOREVER!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** YES THEY DID!

 **Sidjr100:** Hey it wasn't a punishment! It was a reward! I threw in two kisses in that chapter! :D

 **Iamtlani13:** My mom is Christian too. :) Thank you so much hope you enjoyed this chapter too! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Oh good for you! :D I'll read and review when you do! :) And thank you very much, I like dark stuff like that haha!

 **An Amber Pen:** Yes they are haha! And thank you! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** This chapter is a bit slower than the last chapters but don't worry, the next few chapters after this will be amazing. Hopefully.

Chapter 18

"Morning, Luce!"

"M-Morning, Natsu."

It was the morning after the fateful day in which Lucy discovered her feelings towards a certain pink-haired boy. While she wanted nothing more than to pretend they didn't exist, standing so close to Natsu outside of her apartment wasn't really helping. The girl didn't know how she was going to do it, but she was determined to keep her feelings locked up and to move on as quickly as possible.

Lucy wasn't entirely sure of her newfound feelings however. She found herself questioning if she only felt this way because she kissed him. Then she would ask herself _why_ she kissed him in the first place. It was an endless cycle, leaving the blonde unsure of absolutely everything. She had never been in love before, how was she supposed to know now?

"Oi, Earthland to Lucy," Natsu said, waving a hand in front of the girl's face.

Lucy jumped and shook her head. "Sorry, Natsu. Let's get going already."

The walk to school was surprisingly more comfortable. Natsu chattered about random things- mainly Happy and his annoyance with Gray- and Lucy listened, laughing with ease at some of the things he said. It temporarily made her forget about the pesky feelings she was locking away in her heart. That is until she felt something warm being wrapped around her neck. Glancing down, she found Natsu's special scarf.

"N-Natsu, why are you letting me wear this again?" Lucy asked, feeling guilty wearing the scarf his father gave to him.

The boy shrugged and answered, "Because you were shivering the entire way here. Do you not know what a jacket is?"

The blonde scoffed and crossed her arms. "Says the one that always wears an open coat with only one sleeve."

"Hey, unlike you I don't get cold so it doesn't matter what I wear."

"Fine, you got me there. But still, this scarf is special to you I shouldn't be wearing it!"

Natsu's cheeks were dusted a light pink as he avoided eye contact. "Yeah well, you're more special to me. You're cold so just wear it. It looks good on you."

With that, Lucy whipped her head forward to keep her eyes locked on their path so as to not let Natsu see her now blazing cheeks. The girl wondered how he could say such things so effortlessly. If she were to say something like that she would probably pass out before finishing her sentence. Her heartrate was sped up and her hands felt clammy, her cheeks still painted red from her blush. These feelings were going to be a lot harder to ignore than she thought.

Once the two stood outside of Lucy's math class- on time for once- Lucy began to remove the sacred scarf around her neck. Natsu gently grabbed her wrist, urging her to stop.

"Keep it for today," he said, putting his hands back in his pockets.

"W-Why?" Lucy inquired, blushing once again as she somehow managed to maintain eye contact.

"Like I said, looks good on you."

With that, Natsu turned around and headed to his class, leaving Lucy alone to gape at his retreating figure.

" _Does he like me?"_ she wondered, still standing outside of her classroom in a daze. " _He's been complimenting me and is letting me wear this scarf and-"_

"Lucy, you are standing in front of the door." The said girl was brought out of her thoughts as she looked to find Erza staring at her with a questioning look. Did they actually beat her to class for once? "Is something the matter?"

Lucy shook her head furiously. "Nope! Nothing is wrong at all! Let's go sit down!"

The blonde was about to make her way back to her seat when Erza's firm grasp on her wrist stopped her and forced her to turn around. The redhead stared at the fabric draped around her neck with wide eyes and a parted mouth.

"Is that Natsu's scarf?" she finally asked.

Lucy found herself unable to speak so she nodded in response.

"Interesting."

With that, Erza led the way to their seats and class started soon after. Of course, Lucy found it hard to focus on functions and other math-related stuff she didn't care for, so she zoned out, a certain pinkette clouding her thoughts.

* * *

"You need to tell him."

"I'm not going to tell him."

"And why the hell not?"

"There are so many reasons why!"

Lucy and Gray walked swiftly through the halls, Juvia and Levy trailing behind, confused at what the other two were talking about.

"If you tell him, things are going to work out, I guarantee it. I'll even help you," Gray said as they were approaching the table.

"What do you mean by that-"

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu interrupted, taking her wrist and sitting her down.

Lucy gave one last glare to Gray and turned her attention to the boy that occupied her thoughts.

"Hi, Natsu!" she greeted with equal enthusiasm. "I made you a lunch by the way. Got tired of you eating mine and I don't want to see you starving, so here."

Lucy slid a boxed lunch towards to the boy, who stared at it quizzically. He then faced Lucy with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, confusing the blonde. A face splitting grin etched its way onto Natsu's face as he took the lunch and inspected it.

"Thanks, Lucy!" he said, chowing down at the food, which was the same as Lucy's lunch.

"No problem! Now we can both eat!" the blonde said with a smile. She nibbled on her sandwich until she heard somebody plop into the seat beside her. "L-Lisanna! You're back!"

The silver-haired girl smiled at Lucy. Since she confessed to Natsu, it was a rare occurrence for her to sit at the lunch table with them, but she figured it was time to come back. "Yep! Did I miss out on-"

Lisanna's beautiful blue eyes widened and her mouth hung open on its hinges. Lucy followed her gaze and her eyes landed on the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. She forgot it was there with how surprisingly comfortable it was. Then she felt guilty, knowing how Lisanna felt and knowing that she was probably upset that she was wearing the scarf instead of her. Lucy turned around to face Natsu and began to unravel the cloth from her neck.

"Here, take it," she whispered, holding it out with her hand.

Natsu glanced at it, food shoved in his mouth, and replied, "Nope. I told you I want you to wear it. I'm not taking it back and I know you wouldn't just leave it somewhere because you know how important it is to me. So wear it."

"Natsuuu," Lucy whined. "You don't understand!"

"I don't care. Wear it."

The blonde sighed and wrapped the scarf back around her neck, the intense feeling of guilt shrouding her body. She turned back to Lisanna and gave a wary smile, which was promptly returned with a saddened smile.

"So you finally realized it, huh?" the silver-haired girl said in a barely audible voice.

Lucy quickly understood what she meant and hoped she wouldn't be mad.

"I'm so sorry," the blonde whispered.

Lisanna was about to say something but was interrupted as Cana slung an arm around her and started a slurred conversation. Lucy faced forward once again, now feeling incredibly glum at the possibility of losing one of her friends. She couldn't bring her hands to her food so instead she played with the hem of her skirt, keeping her eyes on the table. The conversations around her went unheard until Gray pulled her out of her depressing thoughts.

"Hey Lucy," he said, gathering everyone's attention. He gave her an obvious wink, causing Lucy to literally face-palm, and continued. "Isn't there something you have to say to us? Or, specifically _Natsu?"_

Instead of leaping over the table to strangle the idiot, Lucy smiled kindly at Gray. When will he ever learn to stop interfering with things? "Whatever do you mean?" She knew he was just trying to help but this had to be the worst plan in existence and she wondered just how dumb the boy could be.

"You know, what you told me last night!" he replied.

Everyone was staring at her expectantly, and she knew that if she didn't talk Erza would have her head. So, after a deep breath and a surge of confidence, she finally told the secret she had been hiding.

"Fine. My name is Lucy Heartfilia and I am from one of the three richest families in all of Fiore, it's nice to meet you all," she said, waiting for everyone's reactions. Sure, it wasn't the secret that Gray wanted her to say, but it was something she had been wanting to admit for the longest time. And she _definitely_ wasn't about to say the other secret.

There were a few moments of silence, Levy and Natsu sitting unaffected. And just like that the rest of the group blew up with shock, Gray included as he forgot all about his plan.

"You're rich?" Cana asked, taking a big swig of the contents in her flask. Nobody ever knew what specifically she drank and nobody ever cared to ask.

"Yep," Lucy answered, followed by an awkward chuckle.

"Ha, I knew it right away!" Levy boasted with a smirk. "C'mon, her last name is Heartfilia!"

"Doesn't ring a bell," Gray said, still phased by the whole "rich" thing.

Levy sighed and face-palmed. "You guys don't know about the Heartfilia railroads? Or the mansion? Or _anything?_ Hell, she's an unemployed seventeen year old girl living by herself and paying the rent on her own! How else would she be able to pay?"

Erza, who seemed embarrassed not realizing, chimed in, "I suppose I just never noticed these things. But now your outburst from the other day makes perfect sense!"

"I'm sorry I kept it from all of you. It's just hard to talk about sometimes," Lucy said, her eyes downcast.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy!" Juvia said with a bright smile. "Juvia thought Lucy was going to say she had feelings for her lovely Gray-sama! Juvia is just glad she was wrong!"

The blonde laughed and replied, "Thanks, Juvia."

With that, the conversation stemmed off of that topic, Lucy relieved that Gray had forgotten all about his idiotic plan, though she was definitely going to scold him later for it. She felt somebody poke her side and glanced to find Natsu was the culprit.

"Are ya gonna eat or are ya just gonna sit there?" he asked with his signature fanged grin.

Lucy smiled and nodded, picking up her sandwich and munching on it happily. The girl felt much lighter now that a huge secret was lifted off her shoulders. She didn't expect everyone to be fine with the fact that she had kept something so hidden from them- thanks to her pessimistic attitude- and was beyond relieved that they treated her the same they did before they knew. Then she wondered if telling Natsu her other secret would feel just as good.

Glancing towards Lisanna, who seemed to be chatting with the group happily, the blonde shook her head. She couldn't imagine hurting her friend any further. Thus, she decided against confessing, though something inside her made her think that she actually had a chance.

 **AN:** The two are becoming less dense thank gosh! But sadly Lucy cares too much about Lisanna to act on her feelings! D: And look this chapter didn't end with a cliffhanger either! :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Well, also for Lucy to deal with Lisanna's feelings for him, but yes! Nalu is definitely occurring! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Now you know! :D Thanks for the review! :D

 **XxxKittehxxx:** OH you'll have to see what happens at Lucy's place the next chapter! It'll be worth the wait! :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Can't forget about Lisanna haha!

 **FireShifter:** You'll have to find out next chapter what happens at Lucy's house! :D

 **Crystal Kitty842:** Thank you very much! :) Hope you didn't have to wait too long!

 **Brynn chan:** Thank you! I like to think that Cana is great at reading people haha! :) And no nali will be happening in this story, I promise haha! :D She already got rejected!

 **Alexa60765:** Man, that was a cliffhanger too!? I just can't help it haha!

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Nalu will prevail! Just gotta get the other ships out of the way first! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Sadly there will be no more making out in the closet scenes, but there will be more kisses eventually! ;D And about your homecoming question... Hmm... If you like them and trust them, I don't see why not! All in all, homecoming is super fun, even without a date! I think you should say yes! Go for it! :)

 **Guest:** Thank you for the review! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** RIP to all that lost their lives in the horrible attack of 9/11. Never forget.

Chapter 19

It was Friday afternoon as the last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of school for two whole weeks. It was the time that every student had been waiting patiently for: Winter Break. Lucy and her group of friends- including Lisanna, Jellal, and Gajeel- were heading back to her apartment to hang out. While the blonde wasn't the one to plan this, she didn't mind having her friends over. Not to mention the fact that she would have to deal with Erza's wrath, seeing as how this was probably a way for the redhead to hang out with Jellal. Thus, the girl walked merrily home, glad that for once she actually wore a jacket considering it was snowing.

"So what do we do now?" Lucy asked once the group was seated in a circle in the living room. "And we are _not_ playing truth or dare again."

"What, was flame brain that bad of a kisser?" Gray questioned with a smirk. Of course that caused a brawl to ensue, Gajeel joining just for fun until Erza put a stop to it.

"Wait, you and Natsu kissed?" Lisanna questioned with widened eyes.

Lucy's heart panged seeing her friend with such an expression and wanted to crawl into her room and not come out until they all left.

"Yep!" Cana finally answered for Lucy. "Gray dared them to do seven minutes in heaven. They both came out with messy hair, you should've seen them."

Lisanna's gaze never broke away from Lucy's, though she mustered up a weak and clearly forced laugh. Blue bore into brown, both girls refusing to look away from each other. Both were feeling glum, though for two different reasons.

"I-It didn't mean anything," the blonde found herself lying. "It was just a stupid dare."

Natsu turned to face her with his brows furrowed. He looked hurt from her statement, but then nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah," Cana said, taking a swig from her flask. "Whatever you say, love birds. By the way Lucy, you're coming to the Fairy Tail Christmas party right?"

"Party?" the blonde questioned in return. "I never heard of a party!"

"Oh sorry, Lu-chan!" Levy said. "I was going to tell you about it but it slipped my mind! Do you think you'll be available on Christmas Eve?"

"Of course! That sounds fun! I should find an outfit-"

"Nope!" the petite girl interrupted. "You and I are going to go shopping tomorrow for matching outfits! Don't worry, I'll make sure to choose something that shows off our bodies, I know that you love skimpy clothes."

The blonde pouted and crossed her arms. "There's nothing wrong with how I dress."

The group laughed and eventually decided to play card games. Lucy regretted making a bet with Cana about who would win seeing as how the brunette won _every single game._ Even when everyone else pitted together against the alcoholic, they still couldn't win. It was as if Cana used card magic or something.

" _Oh, I should definitely add that to my story,"_ Lucy thought with a smile.

"Oi, can we do a secret Santa this year?" Gajeel suddenly asked. "I don't got enough money to buy everyone gifts this year."

"Oh that sounds fun!" Lisanna squealed, clasping her hands together. "Let's do it!"

"Okay!" Levy said. "I'll go get some paper and one of Lu-chan's hats!" The petite girl got a piece of paper and ripped it into pieces. Writing everyone's name on the slips, she placed them into one of Lucy's hats and shook it up. "Lu-chan! Since you are the newest member of our little group, you draw first!"

The blonde bounced excitedly in her seat. She had never done anything like this. Truth be told, she was going to buy everyone a gift considering she was stinking wealthy and all, but would abide by the rules of the game and only buy something for the person she drew. Thus, she reached her slender arm into the hat and swished the pieces of papers around. Her fingers wrapped around a certain slip that seemed to call to her. Bringing it up to her eyes and hiding it from her friends, the girl let her eyes roam over the slip and smiled at the name written with Levy's cute handwriting.

" _Gray, thank God. I don't know enough about Jellal and Gajeel to get them anything good and I also don't know much about Lisanna either, not to mention the fact that she might not even like me anymore. If I don't get Erza something good, she'll kill me; Juvia would only want something Gray-related and that's too complicated; and Cana would only want alcohol. And I'm already going to get Natsu something."_

Natsu shot up from his seat. "I wanna draw next!"

Levy sighed and nodded her head, holding the hat out to the boy. The pinkette shut his eyes and forcefully swirled the papers, some threatening to spill out. Eventually, after some yelling of "hurry up" by Erza, he picked up a slip and waved it around in the air. Not letting anyone see it, he read the name and frowned.

" _Juvia? I wanted to get Lucy."_

One by one, the rest of the group drew their slips. There were some groans and some cheers. Gajeel seemed the most distraught, leaving Lucy to assume he probably got Natsu. Erza's face was bright red, meaning that she had to have drawn Jellal's. Gray, Cana, Jellal, and Levy seemed indifferent, leaving Lucy unable to figure out who they were stuck with. Lastly, there was Lisanna.

Lucy hesitantly turned to face the silver-haired girl, only to find that she was already staring back at her. The blonde could see that her eyebrows were slightly furrowed and there was a frown tugging at her lips. Lucy cringed and was immediately reminded of the guilt she felt before.

After they all agreed to meet up at the party- Erza and Levy deciding to come over to Lucy's to get ready- everyone began to leave the apartment. Before Lisanna could leave however, Lucy gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. Their eyes locked onto each other in a long drawn out silence. Tension filled the air as Lucy finally choked out what she wanted to say after she noticed that it was just the two of them and the rest of their friends had walked away.

"L-Look, Lisanna…" she began, releasing the other girl's wrist and awkwardly fumbling with the hem of her skirt. "I would understand if you switched slips with someone else or just didn't get me anything at all… I know that you're probably mad at me and don't wanna be friends with me anymore, but I care about you and I still want to be your friend more than anything. I promise I won't make a move on Natsu. He's all yours."

Lucy cringed as she watched Lisanna's beautiful blue eyes widen and her brows drooped. There was clear sadness and pain evident in her eyes as her mouth hung open. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until finally Lisanna slowly shook her head. With that, the silver-haired girl turned around and wordlessly descended the stairs and away from Lucy, who sighed and made her way back into her apartment and into bed.

" _Well, it's official. She hates me,"_ she thought, bringing the covers over her face. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she choked them away. " _There's no way she doesn't hate me. I mean, that look she gave me was pure hurt. I put her in so much pain and betrayed her by falling for the same boy. I mean, out of all the boys in school I just had to fall for Natsu? Jeez, I would rather have fallen for Loke even though he's a player. As long as I wouldn't be hurting one of my friends."_

But she didn't fall for Loke. She fell for Natsu. And boy did she fall for him hard. While before she was hesitant about calling it love, there was now no doubt in her mind. She loved Natsu. But that had to change. And if it couldn't, then it would have to be suppressed to the best of her abilities. Hurting Lisanna more than she already had wasn't an option. She would much rather suffer herself than force her friends to endure such pain. Thus, suffer she did.

* * *

Lucy hadn't seen Natsu the next two days. She hadn't seen much of her other friends either, though she did see Levy as they went shopping the prior night for matching outfits. The two went thrift shopping successfully and found the two cutest outfits. They were short dresses that rode to their mid-thighs and flared at the top of the hip. Bordering both the top and bottom hems was white puffy material. They were typical sexy Mrs. Claus outfits, and to top them both off were two Santa hats. Lucy couldn't have loved the outfits more.

There was a light knock on the door, followed by a fiercer knock while Lucy was in the process of slipping on the provocative dress. The girl knew that it was Levy and Erza as they all agreed to get ready at her place. At first the blonde wanted to walk with Natsu, but after the whole Lisanna issue, she was content going with her other close friends. Besides, it was Levy and Erza that introduced her to all of her friends, it was only right that they all walked to the party together.

"Hey guys!" Lucy greeted when she threw open her door. "Can one of you zip me up?"

Erza nodded and zipped up the dress. As Lucy predicted, the dress was tight around her ample chest and was a bit uncomfortable, but at least it wouldn't fall off during the night. The trio of girls strode into the blonde's room and quickly prepared for the night. Lucy curled Erza's hair while the redhead curled Levy's. When that was finished, Erza curled Lucy's hair. They decided not to put makeup on. They never wore it anyways and it was too much of a hassle to bother with.

Once all three girls were dressed in their outfits for the night, they laughed and took many pictures together. They still had about an hour left before the party started, and of course they had to arrive fashionably late to show off their outfits and perfectly done hair. They were going to watch a movie but Levy decided against it and instead figured it was time for a needed girl talk.

"When are you going to tell Natsu how you feel about him?" the blue-headed girl questioned. Usually whenever she asked something related to Natsu and feelings, the petite girl was kidding. Now, however, there was concern showing in her eyes, letting Lucy know that she was absolutely serious.

"How did you know about that?" the blonde asked in return.

"I can read you like an open book, Lu-chan. I'm an excellent reader."

Lucy sighed and laid onto her bed and hugged her pillow close to her chest. "I can't tell him. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but _Lisanna_ likes him."

Levy stared back at Lucy quizzically before asking, "Is this supposed to be news to me? Everyone knows that." Erza nodded, only further proving the petite girl's point.

"R-Really!? I didn't know that until Natsu told me she confessed to him!"

"Because you and Natsu are dense about _everything._ We all know how Lisanna feels and we all care about her, but I think you should tell Natsu."

"How can I tell him when I know it'll hurt Lisanna? There's no way I'll ever do that to her."

Levy sighed and nodded her head. "I guess that makes sense. I don't know what that would be like so I guess I shouldn't tell you what to do. I still think you should though. It's clear that it's hurting you keeping things bottled inside, and I think it's hurting Natsu too."

Lucy raised a brow. "Natsu?"

"Yes," Erza said. "When you said that your kiss meant nothing, he was clearly upset by that. He probably didn't like hearing that his only kiss with the girl he liked didn't mean anything to her."

Pink dusted the blonde's cheeks as she twirled her golden locks absentmindedly. "About that… That wasn't our only kiss…"

There was a moment of complete silence, Lucy could swear she could hear her own heart beating under her ribs. Then Levy started to yell.

"And you never told us!?" she shouted incredulously. "Lu-chan, this is very serious stuff! Now you _have_ to tell Natsu! There's no way he doesn't feel the same!"

Erza nodded once more, a stern look in her eyes, and added, "You should have told us, Lucy. You should not keep secrets from your friends."

The golden-haired girl raised her arms in surrender. "I know, I know. Look, don't mention it with anyone, alright? And… I'll figure things out with Natsu and Lisanna. I do have the feeling that Natsu… _likes_ me. But I don't know, alright? Things are confusing enough already, I'll figure things out eventually. For now, _you_ focus on Gajeel and _you_ focus on Jellal."

Levy smiled at her friend. "Deal."

And though Erza's face matched her hair and she was glaring at the blonde for bringing up her feelings towards a certain blue-haired boy, she agreed. "I will trust you to clear things up with Natsu."

* * *

The three girls walked into Fairy Tail with eager smiles and presents in their hands. Though Lucy wasn't used to the blaring music or colorful lights, it was clear that the other two girls were as they effortlessly waded through the large crowd of people. The blonde stumbled a couple of times, not used to walking in heels in the dark.

"Hey guys!" Cana greeted. Her cheeks were dusted pink, and while for most people that meant they were blushing, her change in color was from the alcohol. She had an Asian glow going on at the moment. She really was wasted. "Want some?"

"No thanks, Cana!" Lucy replied. Usually she would chide the alcoholic for her underage drinking, but it was Christmas Eve and she didn't want to ruin the occasion.

"C'mon, Lucy! Just one shot and I will leave you alone about it forever!"

Lucy stared at the cup in front of her, full of a liquid she couldn't name, but knew that it would mess her up. Surely one shot couldn't do too much damage though. Shrugging, she took the miniature glass, leaned her head back, and downed the contents. It burned as it slipped down her throat, but once she swallowed the horrible liquid, she shook her head and laughed.

"That was my first ever shot and I don't plan on having another!" she said. "Thanks though, Cana!"

The brunette wore a face-splitting grin. Apparently nobody in their group of friends ever agreed to drink with her, so having Lucy take a shot- though it was only one- was like the best Christmas gift she could ever ask for. With that, the four girls walked to the rest of the group.

Lucy immediately found Natsu, who in turn was staring at her as well. She could tell that he was looking her body up and down, probably because of how scandalous the dress she wore was. He on the other hand didn't dress up at all and was in his normal outfit. When their eyes finally connected, both blushed and looked away.

"Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!" Mira greeted as she served them all drinks. Only Cana's was alcoholic though.

"Merry Christmas Eve!" they all shouted in return. The atmosphere was so light and fun. Lucy hadn't experienced such a fun holiday since her mother's death.

"I wanna open presents now!" Cana said excitedly. "We'll all take turns! Whoever gave me my gift needs to step forward!"

Gray sighed as he walked towards the brunette, present in hand. It was slim and rectangular and he held it carefully so as not to drop it, signaling that it was fragile. "Here, go wild."

Cana snatched the present into her own hand and tore away at the plain green wrapping paper. Underneath was a plain box, but when she lifted the lid she let out a gasp. With utmost care, the brunette lifted what looked like an expensive alcohol- Lucy didn't know what type it was considering she never cared about that kind of stuff.

"How did you get this?" Cana asked, tears actually brimming her eyes. "This stuff is rare and you can only get in some other country! Do you have a fake ID or something we don't know about?"

The dark-haired boy scoffed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Of course not. My sister Ultear was on a trip and I asked her to send me some for you."

Cana brought the boy into a bone-crushing hug, one that even Juvia laughed at despite her usually jealous persona. Next it was Gray's turn to receive a gift. Thus, Lucy picked up her box and skipped happily in front of her brother-like friend.

"Hope you like it!" she said cheerfully. "And merry almost Christmas!"

Gray smiled at her and accepted the neatly wrapped box into his own hands. Lucy obviously took great care wrapping it. Even the wrapping paper was cute as it was covered with penguins and reindeers. There was also a silver bow on top. The boy tore it away with a wide grin and opened the box to find a custom made snow globe and two tickets to a spring concert with his favorite band.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "Don't get me wrong, the snow globe is cool and all, but how did you get these tickets!? They were supposedly sold out months ago!"

Lucy awkwardly chuckled and answered, "Well, everyone is willing to sell if there is enough money offered!"

The two hugged, both ignoring Juvia's cries of "Love Rival!" Next it was Lucy's turn, and her stomach instantly dropped to the floor, knowing that Lisanna was her secret Santa. The blonde slowly turned to face the other girl, who in turn shied her eyes away.

"I-I would like to give my present to Lucy in private…" she said, looking up and finally meeting Lucy's eyes with fierce determination. She led the way outside of the pub so that they could talk without the blaring music.

Lucy shared a fearful glance with Levy and Erza. The petite girl was also concerned while Erza simply nodded her head and urged her to follow Lisanna. With a deep breath, the blonde took a step forward and immediately her resolve crumbled. Her eyes landed on the dark liquid in front of Cana. She quickly picked it up and downed the liquid. _Now_ her resolve was back.

" _Wish me luck,"_ she thought as she waded through the crowd towards the grand doors where she knew Lisanna was waiting for her. She could only hope that the confrontation that was surely about to happen didn't get violent.

 **AN:** Okay this chapter wasn't that good, but the next one is I swear. You guys will love the next chapter. It's one of my favorites. Gosh, less than ten chapters left! How exciting! :D Please review. :)

 **Brynn chan:** Ooh, sorry there will be no more games like that, but there will be cute stuff I promise! :) Thank you for the review!

 **Lunahartz:** Did you say yes!? :D I hope your homecoming is fun for you!

 **FireShifter:** Lisanna will be fine eventually! :) And yes, Lucy is such a sweet friend!

 **Sidjr100:** Haha well, now there's another cliffhanger! :D Don't worry, the next chapter is full of awesomeness and NO cliffhangers! :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Yeah this chapter was slow too but it's because the next one is like BAM. Haha thanks for another review! You've been supporting this story since like the beginning! It means a lot! :')

 **Iamtlani13:** Patience is key when it comes to nalu stories haha! :D (next one I promise.)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I know, but Lisanna will be alright! :D

 **Alexa60765:** I know, Gray is just a lil stupid sometimes haha! And omg same haha! I feel like we all have that one friend that tries to help but can sometimes just makes things worse haha!

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Don't worry about it haha. :) And thank you! The others will join the group chat too eventually! And there will be a confession eventually! :D

 **Anime:** Thank you very much! Glad you are enjoying the story! :D


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** GET READY FOR THIS LONG CHAPTER BECAUSE I LOVE IT AND IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES SO ENJOY OR ELSE. Only five chapters left then an epilogue! PS, it was funny seeing you guys predict if Lucy and Lisanna were going to fight or not. NOW YOU SHALL SEE.

Chapter 20

Lucy knew she was only imagining the gained courage she felt after she downed Cana's drink. After all, it was only two shots. Though she didn't know much about alcohol intake, she knew that she couldn't have gotten drunk off of two shots. But it didn't matter. After all, her newfound courage was dwindling with each step. The girl's stomach was practically doing somersaults as she pushed open the grand doors and saw Lisanna waiting for her. The silver-haired girl's face was devoid of its usual cheerful smile and instead wore a blank expression.

Lucy walked up to her, her lips tugged into a frown. "Look, I understand if you're mad at me-"

"Lucy stop," Lisanna interrupted. Her eyes twinkled fiercely and her brows furrowed, letting Lucy know not to speak until she was done talking. "I know you're in love with Natsu, and I know that you know I am too." Lucy nodded sadly, prompting her to continue. "I know that you lied when you said that your kiss with Natsu meant nothing and I know you're hurting lying to yourself."

Lisanna took a deep breath and continued. "I'll admit it. I was jealous. Very jealous, actually. I knew from the moment I met you that day in the cafeteria that you and Natsu were getting closer. I felt like I had to stop it from happening, so I confessed to him during Mira's party, hoping that you guys weren't too close yet and that I could squeeze my way into his life the way I wanted. But it was too late. I could already tell that he was falling for you, even though he didn't know it yet."

"And I'll also admit that I did consider switching slips with someone else. Anyone else really, especially Cana, that one would've been easy because she got- wait, that doesn't matter. Point is, I was going to switch because I was upset. I was upset that I have been by Natsu's side for years, falling in love with him and watching him grow. Then you came out of nowhere and stole his heart. I thought it wasn't fair and I couldn't deal with the thought of actually buying you something when you already had what was most important to me."

By this point tears were falling from both girls' eyes.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Wait, I'm not finished!" Lisanna cried out. "Again, I was going to switch slips with someone. But then you stopped me the other night outside your apartment. You told me that you were sorry and that I was your friend and that you wouldn't do anything with Natsu so that you wouldn't hurt me. And you looked at me with those eyes, those pity and care-filled eyes. It was then that I just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand my selfish thoughts. You're my friend too, Lucy. I care about you so much and you are a dear friend to me. But what you said made me even madder!"

"I'll admit that I was upset and that I didn't want to be your secret Santa, but do you really think so little of me that I would want you to sacrifice your own happiness for mine?" Lisanna smiled through her tears while Lucy was too shocked to speak. "I want you to be happy, Lucy. I promise that I do. I would never drop you as a friend or ever ask you to ignore your own feelings of love. And that's why this is my present to you. You have my blessing to be with Natsu."

Lucy was too stunned to wipe away her tears and only stared into Lisanna's blue eyes. Surely this was all a dream. Perhaps she really was drunk from those two shots and was actually hallucinating because there was no way that Lisanna was here saying such kind things after the pain she put her through. That just wasn't possible. But sure enough, it wasn't a dream, nor a hallucination. It was reality.

"W-What are you saying?" she finally choked out. "I-I could never do that to you! I could never hurt you like that!"

The silver-haired girl smiled at the blonde and let out a weak giggle. "Oh believe me, it will hurt. But I'll be fine, I promise. Look, if you ignore your feelings for Natsu, it'll hurt three people: you for having to hide your feelings; Natsu for feeling like his love is unrequited; and me for knowing that I got in the way of your love. If you just confess, only I will be hurting. But I'll move on. I know that you two are meant to be and I knew it the day I saw you sitting next to Natsu at the lunch table, not me. Trust me, Lucy. I'll be okay."

"I-I don't know…"

"Oh, that's not the only thing I got you, of course!" Lisanna cried out with joy, ignoring what the blonde just said. "Here!" She held out a rectangular present and forced it into Lucy's hands.

Lucy stared at it with wide eyes and hesitantly tore away at the wrapping paper. What laid in her hands was a book full of writing prompts and space to write short stories. It would really come in handy for her, seeing as how she wanted to be an author but was suffering from writer's block. Lucy looked back at Lisanna and embraced her in a tight hug.

After a few moments, Lisanna pulled away and brightly smiled at Lucy again and wiped away the blonde's tears. "Natsu told me that you like to write- he really doesn't shut up about you- and I found this the other day and thought it would be perfect… He really does love you, Lucy. No matter how much I wish it were me sometimes, the universe decided you two were meant to be together."

"I-I can't just tell him though…" Lucy whispered, still feeling weird about telling the other girl her feelings about Natsu. "I don't want to ruin things between us…"

Lisanna sighed and nodded. "I was like that too, believe me. I hid my feelings for _years._ But trust me, it feels a lot better when you get it off your chest. And the difference between you and me is that he actually likes you too."

"You think so?"

"I know so. But look, I'm not trying to force you to confess to him if you don't want to. I just wanted you to know that if you ever do confess, you have my blessing and that I would never do anything to ruin things between you two. And that you will always be my friend, no matter what!" The two shared another hug. "But who would've thought that someone like Natsu would get two beautiful girls like us to fall for him?"

Lucy laughed and sarcastically replied, "It's gotta be the motion sickness. It's such an attractive trait in guys."

The two girls latched arms and cracked jokes the entire way back to the group. Lucy sighed in content. Things were just fine between her and Lisanna. She was childish to think things would be any other way. After all, Lisanna was too kindhearted for the role of an enemy. Things were better with them as friends.

"Finally!" Cana cried out as the two girls approached them. "I had like six beers waiting for you to come back! So Lucy, what did she get you? Lingerie? Maybe a new _play toy_ , if you know what I mean." The brunette winked, to which the blonde responded with a disgusted scoff.

Lucy held up her book. "Nope! She got me this! It's great for someone like me because I love writing! And she also got me…" Her eyes lingered towards Natsu, who stared back at her with a confused expression. A small smile crept to her lips. "…She gave me something else important."

"What was it?" Cana asked, looking for another gift.

"That's a secret." Lucy and Lisanna shared knowing glances and laughed, confusing the rest of the group to no end.

"Alright then…" Cana said. "Now it's Lisanna's turn to get a present!"

Juvia squeaked and walked forward, handing the girl a silver box with a shy smile. Lisanna returned the smile and removed the lid to find a penguin plush adorned in winter accessories. The silver-haired girl squealed and hugged the stuffed toy to her chest.

"Thanks, Juvia!" she exclaimed. "I love it! Penguins are my favorite animal!"

A bright smile etched itself onto the blue-haired girl's face. "Juvia knows, that is why she got this! Juvia is glad Lisanna likes it!"

"Finally I can give Juvia her present! I've been waiting for this all night!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed.

Natsu eagerly stepped forward, everyone noticing the mischievous glint in his eyes. In his hands was a rather tall cylinder shaped present that was horrendously wrapped. The blonde remembered the day she first met Natsu when he asked her for help finding Mira a present and suppressed a laugh. Lucy then wondered what he got Juvia considering she was told that he wasn't good at getting presents. Not to mention the fact that Juvia probably wouldn't like anything that wasn't Gray-related. Everyone watched with curiosity- apparently they all were on the same page as Lucy. They were surprised when the girl let out a loud shriek. It was a poster, that much was for sure, but nobody saw what it was considering Juvia was clutching it to her chest tightly. Lucy could swear she saw steam flying out of her ears and nostrils. Finally, the bluenette excitedly turned the poster around, and just like that everyone's jaws dropped to the floor, ignoring Natsu's maniac laughing.

The poster was of Gray, shirtless of course, showcasing his popular abs. But there was a santa hat photo-shopped to the top of his head, along with red santa pants over his own pants. There was a bed photo-shopped into the background, the sheets messed up. Everyone picked up its implications real quick.

"W-What the hell is that!?" Gray finally asked, lunging towards Natsu with a raised fist. Everyone flinched at the sound of his fist colliding with Natsu's cheek.

The pink-haired boy seemed unfazed, however, and only rose back up with more laughter. "I know a guy named Hibiki from that all-boys public school called Blue Pegasus Academy. He's an expert with photoshop!"

The two continued to throw punches at each other until finally Erza put an end to it. Juvia ran over towards Natsu- who was laying on the floor in pain due to the redhead's wrath- and embraced him in a bone-crushing hug. The hug hurt more than Erza's harsh punch.

"Thank you, Natsu!" Juvia squealed.

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied in a high-pitched voice, probably from the injuries.

Gajeel snickered as he walked up towards the pink-haired boy, who was still on the floor, and delivered a merciless kick into his side.

"That's my Christmas present to you!" the boy said, laughing afterwards. After he saw Erza staring at him with an evil glint in her eyes, he gulped and dropped the real present onto Natsu's stomach.

Lucy flinched at the sight since it was clear that the gift was heavy. Natsu glared at Gajeel but then turned his attention back to the present with an eager grin. The blonde wanted to laugh seeing as how excited he was about presents. It reminded her of a child.

"WHOA A FLAMETHROWER!" Natsu suddenly cried out, bringing Lucy out of her thoughts.

"WHAT!?" she screeched, taking the heavy object away from her pyro friend. "Natsu, there is no way I'm letting you ever use this! Gajeel, why the hell would you get this for him!? No, _how_ did you get something like this for him!?"

The scruffy teen shrugged. "I asked my old man Metallica for a favor and he came through."

"Natsu," Erza said in a strict tone, "don't you dare use that here, in school, in Lucy's apartment, or anywhere around me. _Understood?"_

"A-Aye!" Natsu replied, saluting the scary redhead.

Cana drunkenly wobbled over and took a swig of her whiskey. "Here, Gajeel."

Gajeel took the gift and quickly tore away the paper, reminding Lucy just how childish he was as well. Levy hopped next to him and watched with wonder. Finally, the boy pulled out an advanced mechanic tool kit.

"Wow, Gajeel this is perfect for you!" Levy cried out, surveying each tool closely.

"Damn, it is!" the boy replied. "Thanks, Cana. You give better gifts than I thought you would."

The alcoholic smirked in response and waded back to her seat to watch more.

"Who goes next since Cana already got her gift?" Levy asked. All that was left was her, Erza, and Jellal.

"I'll go," Jellal volunteered, shyly stepping forward to Levy- after all, he was even newer to this group that Lucy was. He handed the petite girl a small box and it was clear to everyone that he was obviously insecure about his present choice.

Lucy didn't blame him, after all she hoped she wasn't his secret Santa specifically because she didn't know him well enough. But Jellal wasn't exactly too familiar with _any_ of them, besides Erza. But surprisingly, there was a loud gasp when Levy opened her present. The girl held up two orange, flower hairpins that sparkled beautifully under the light. These were much cuter than her old, tearing away headband. Lucy knew that Jellal had to have gotten help from Erza but smiled at how the boy was trying to become close to them all. He was friendly and Lucy was glad her friend had fallen for someone as kind as him. The blonde stifled a laugh as Gajeel glared at Jellal, obviously wondering why he would buy something "intimate" like hairpins for the girl he deemed as his own.

Next was Erza's gift to Jellal. Her hand shook as she held out a box. Lucy giggled as she recalled helping the redhead wrap it as she was so worried about it not being good enough. Jellal tore away at the paper and opened the box to find a slip of paper. He picked it up with a puzzled expression, but then his eyes grew wide and his hand began to tremble.

"E-Erza, this is…" he began, but was unable to finish his sentence as he stared at the girl in front of him.

Erza nodded with a small smile, all of her embarrassment from before gone. "Yes, it is an acceptance letter to the university you wanted to go to. Your mother and I filled it out and sent it in."

"M-My mother?"

"Yes. I told her about how you were scared of leaving her alone and using her money for school and that was why you never applied to any universities. She cried a bit and then helped me fill out the information. We both want you to follow your dreams though, and that was why I paid the application fee."

Jellal quickly wrapped his arms around the girl. Tears were brimming his eyes, but he didn't seem to care. Hell, even Lucy felt like crying after the heartfelt scene in front of her. But then she was quickly shocked at what happened next, just as everyone else did. Jellal pulled away from the hug and crashed his lips against Erza's. The redhead in turn stood stiff as a board, too shocked to even move a muscle, but eventually leaned into the contact with a smile. When the two broke apart, Jellal spoke up.

"Erza Scarlet," he began, brushing some of her hair out of her face, "I love you and I want to be with you even after I graduate. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Erza ignored the blush on her cheeks and nodded furiously. All of the girls in the group squealed while the boys awkwardly looked away. Finally Levy skipped to Erza and wiggled her eyebrows and gave her signature snicker.

"I guess my Christmas present doesn't compare to that one, huh?" she rhetorically asked, dodging all of Erza's hits and handing her a medium sized box- which Lucy was also cajoled into wrapping.

Erza's glare turned into a look of wonder as she ripped away at the paper mercilessly. Opening the box, a bright smile appeared on her face as there was an elegant dress folded neatly inside. The bodice was embodied with silver gems while the lilac silk fell gracefully. It was long enough to reach past her ankles and the back was cut out in order to show off her smooth skin.

"I saw you looking at it the other day," Levy explained. "I know that prom is coming up- well not really but still- and knowing you, you would probably pretend that dresses and stuff like that isn't a big deal. But I know that deep down you are into all of the girly stuff and I thought this would look great on you! If you don't like it the receipt is in there and you and I could go looking for another prom dress together."

"This is perfect Levy," Erza replied, carefully putting the dress back into the box. "Thank you."

The two girls hugged. Lucy watched happily. Now everyone had gotten their gifts. This was truly the best Christmas Eve in her entire life. Everyone around her chatted happily, filling her body with joy as well. For years she wished she could make real friends, and here they were. Her wish came true and she was blessed with the best friends in the entire world.

Just then, there was a warm touch encircling her wrist. Lucy looked to find Natsu gently grabbing her wrist.

"Natsu?" she asked.

"Come with me!" he replied. His face wore a wide, fanged grin. The one that Lucy had fallen in love with.

Lucy laughed and followed him outside the guild. It was chilly, especially since she was only wearing a short dress. She looked up into Natsu's eyes, and her breath hitched. He was standing so close to her, their breaths fanned each other's faced. She continued to stare into his onyx eyes and she could swear she saw something in them. She saw longing.

"I wanted to get something specifically for you," the boy finally said. He handed her a medium sized box and waited eagerly for her to open it.

Lucy smiled at him and accepted the gift. She tore away the messy wrapping paper and opened the box to find a baby pink sweater.

"I-I know that you like wearing revealing clothes and all, and it's okay if you don't like it-"

"Hush and hold this box already so I can put it on," the blonde interrupted. She slipped the sweater over her dress, not minding how the colors clashed. It was warm and soft, just as she expected. "I love it! It's my favorite color!"

Natsu stared at her wide eyed and then chuckled. "I know, that's why I chose that one." He then handed the box to her. "There's more…"

Lucy took the box again and gasped as she saw a scarf coiled inside. She pulled it out and found that it matched Natsu's, though the black lines on his were baby pink on hers to match her sweater.

"I couldn't give you my scarf for obvious reasons…" Natsu said, "but I wanted to get you your own so we could match."

Lucy blinked away the tears that were gathering in her eyes. "Natsu, I love it. This is the best present I've ever gotten before."

"That's good… But there's more."

The blonde raised a brow and inspected the box once again. Sure enough, there was a shining necklace, showcasing a pear-cut ruby surrounded by diamonds and clasped on a silver chain. She took it into her hands and marveled at it. Growing up in a rich household, she could tell that it was real and knew it must've cost a fortune. She was always given incredibly pricey jewelry, much more expensive than this. Yet none of them were as beautiful nor as meaningful as they necklace she had in her hands.

"Natsu, this is way too expensive for me to accept!" Lucy said, holding the necklace out to the boy.

Natsu shoved his hands into his pockets and grinned at her. "Well, I'm not accepting it and I know you wouldn't just leave it somewhere, so you have no choice but to accept! And don't worry about the price, it's worth it. I wanted to get you something pink to match the other presents but I know ruby is your birthstone, and it's also my favorite color so I thought it would be perfect."

"It is perfect," Lucy breathed out.

"Turn around," Natsu instructed with a smile. Lucy obliged and held up her hair as the boy placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it together. "Looks good on you."

"Thanks."

Their lips were millimeters apart when Lucy turned back around to face them. It was as if there was a magnetic pull between them as both slowly leaned towards each other. That was when Lucy remembered she had yet to give Natsu his present.

"Open this!" she instructed, forgetting about their almost-kiss as she held out a box.

Natsu, however, didn't forget and he groaned after being interrupted. He wanted nothing more than to close the gap between their lips and even the thought of presents wasn't more exciting than the thought of their lips on each other. Hiding his pink cheeks with his scarf, he finally accepted the gift and quickly opened it so that he could finish what he started. But the almost-kiss was long forgotten after he saw what was inside.

"T-That hot sauce is supposed to be the hottest in all of Fiore," Lucy explained as Natsu picked it up out of the box.

The boy then saw a frame containing a picture of both of them. He remembered the day it was taken. The whole group was at a park and he and Lucy were sitting next to each other on a bench eating ice cream. He recalled dropping his own ice cream and trying to take some of hers, to which she refused. Eventually they both broke out into a fit of laughter and Levy surprised them by taking a picture of them. He never knew that Lucy got ahold of the picture.

Natsu ran his finger over the picture with a nostalgic smile gracing his lips. He stared at Lucy's face, admiring the cheery smile it held. That was what he loved most about Lucy, her smile. Along with her laugh, her kindness, her personality- alright, he loved everything about her. But her smile always managed to send waves of joy through his body.

"This is perfect," Natsu finally said, glancing back at Lucy. He was surprised and confused to see her blushing. "What is it?"

"T-There's one last thing in there…" Lucy replied, averting her gaze to the ground and playing with the hem of her skirt.

Natsu raised a brow as he inspected the box once again. He didn't see anything though and frowned. Lucy sighed in exasperation as she pulled out a small slip of paper. Drawn on the slip were three red circles that looked like berries, three green leaves coming out. It was a holly leaf.

"No offense," Natsu cautiously started, "but why did you give me a drawing of a holly leaf?"

"H-Holly leaf?" Lucy questioned, her eyes growing wide and her mouth parting. "T-That's not a holly leaf! That's a mistletoe!"

"This isn't a mistletoe, it's a holly leaf!"

"It's a mistletoe!"

"No it isn't!"

"Damn it, Natsu! Just say it's a mistletoe!"

The pink-haired boy chuckled. "Fine we'll consider it a mistletoe even though it's a holly leaf."

Lucy playfully nudged the boy in front of her, her cheeks gaining color by the second. Her blush only deepened when Natsu asked the question she was expecting.

"Why did you draw me a mistletoe?" he finally asked, his voice full of confusion.

"I-I didn't think I was going to do this…" Lucy replied, her voice hushed. "I didn't wanna hurt anybody and I didn't know how you felt… I figured I would make a joke about why it was in there. I made this present weeks ago, before I found out some _things_ and I decided to go for it now. So…" She grabbed the slip of paper with a shaky hand and stepped closer to Natsu. She gazed into his eyes and noticed that he was blushing too, but he didn't step away. With a boost of confidence- and perhaps the alcohol from earlier- she held the paper over their heads.

Standing on the tip of her toes, Lucy leaned towards his lips, her eyes drooping closed. Before they closed, the girl saw Natsu leaning towards her as well, making her heart flutter. She stifled a gasp as she felt his hands snake around her waist and pulling her closer. Finally, their lips met in such a softness, her new sweater couldn't compare. Their lips molded together perfectly. It was a long kiss, though neither of them deepened it with their tongues. It stayed pure and innocent, though still held the passion in both of their hearts. Pulling away, they both released breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"Merry Christmas, Natsu," Lucy finally said, her eyes drawn towards his lips.

"Merry Christmas, Lucy," he replied, also staring at her plump lips. He then gently grabbed her hand and retrieved the drawn "mistletoe." He held it above their heads and quickly smashed his lips in for another kiss. Lucy wrapped her arms around him to keep from falling and they continued to kiss under the moonlight.

" _This is the best Christmas ever."_

 **AN:** TELL ME THAT WASN'T AMAZING I DARE YOU! YOU CAN THANK ME IN THE REVIEWS WHILE I GO CRY OVER HOW CUTE IT WAS. We got a nice Jerza moment and an amazing nalu moment. :') PS, the part with the drawing of the holly leaf is actually from my experience haha! Three years ago I drew one for my boyfriend thinking it was a mistletoe and to this day we still kiss under it every Christmas. :')

 **Lunahartz:** I love that you have complete confidence in my story that you can say my chapter was good even before finishing it. :') Thank you so much!

 **Cookie panda-roo:** Hello again! :D And haha your guess was close! She gave Lucy her blessing! :D And thank you. :)

 **Yomi14:** I do always end with cliffhangers haha! At least this one wasn't a cliffhanger! :D It was a happy ending for a chapter. :')

 **Magnificent dragoness:** As a reward for sticking with the story, you get a cute nalu moment! :D Haha thanks so much! :)

 **Mavis Senpai:** My unending cliffhangers! :D Except this one doesn't have one so yay!

 **Sidjr100:** Hahaha omg I love how all of you react with my cliffhangers! It's hilarious! And thank you for another review. :)

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha turns out she's a sweetheart and gave her blessing! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** They didn't fight yay! :D

 **Brynn chan:** Here is my writing process: First, I have a dream that would make a cool nalu story. Second, I think about it a bit and try to make scenes ahead of time. Third, I start writing and it's completely random like I make it all up as I write haha! Fourth, I re-read it and get rid/add things! Fifth, I just say "ehh good enough" and finish the chapter. Lastly, I check for spelling errors and then just post it for the world to see. Haha! :D

 **Alexa60765:** They didn't fight luckily! :D And she gave her very great gifts. :')

 **Iamtlani13:** If you want more nalu stories I have another one up at the moment. :) And after this story is finished, I have another one to post! :) ENDLESS NALU!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** It didn't turn into an all out fist fight yay! :D


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:** Hope you all like this chapter! :D Sorry about updating a day later than usual, I was very sick yesterday haha it was so terrible!

Chapter 21

Two weeks had passed since Lucy and Natsu shared multiple kisses on Christmas Eve and it was time for everyone to return to school. Since then, they hadn't kissed again, much to Lucy's disappointment. But she did realize that they were much closer than before. For instance, they walked much closer now, their arms brushing with every step. Sometimes Natsu would teasingly brush his hand against hers, to which she would nudge him and hide her blushing face. They were also spending much more time together. If they were inseparable before, now it was as if they shared a body with how much they were around each other. He always came over and when he didn't, they were always texting. Even right after he would leave her apartment Lucy's phone would buzz with a new text from him. Though she knew it was clingy, the blonde knew she would be lying if she said she didn't like it.

But this was just ridiculous now.

"Morning, Luce!" Natsu's cheery voice said from right beside her. In her bed. Under the covers.

Said girl groaned and pushed the boy off of her bed, glaring at him. "What the hell are you doing in my bed!?"

Natsu rubbed his aching head and glared back at her. "That hurt, Luce! I was just waiting for you to wake up! I got tired of waiting for you outside so I came in here! Then I saw that you had a few more minutes before your alarm rang so I decided to sleep with you!"

"D-Don't say that! And don't come into my house uninvited!" Lucy screeched. She got out of bed and stood in front of him. The deep blush on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by her. She followed his gaze and was mortified at what she was wearing. Her nightwear consisted of extremely short shorts and a loose, low cut tank top, which was currently riding up and revealing her stomach. The girl shrieked and grabbed her uniform, running into her bathroom to get dressed.

Once Lucy was dressed, she came back out and began making breakfast for the two of them. While she waited for their bagels to finish toasting, she subconsciously fingered the silver jewelry around her neck. The girl never took off the necklace Natsu had given to her for Christmas. It was sacred to her, just as the other presents were. But while she removed the sweater and scarf when she got home, the necklace never left her body.

"I'm glad you like the necklace," Natsu said, bringing Lucy out of her thoughts. He was sitting at the table with a goofy grin plastered to his face.

"I don't like it, I _love_ it," Lucy replied, returning the smile.

"Good, because I'm going to give you a ring someday too when I propose."

The blonde spat out the orange juice that she was drinking, wondering if she had heard him wrong. Analyzing his face, she figured she must have misheard him considering his face wore his usual goofy grin. But just in case…

"What did you just say?" she questioned, her cheeks gaining warmth by the second.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Just then, their bagels shot up in the toaster. "Bagels are done."

"Gee thanks, Natsu," Lucy sarcastically replied. "Not like I didn't hear it or anything."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't considering you didn't hear what I said earlier," the boy shot back with a smirk. "Hurry up or else we're going to be late and Erza is going to kill us."

"You know, I could just throw your bagel in the trash."

"No, Lucy!"

The said girl giggled and brought their breakfast to the table. She forgot all about his earlier remark and munched happily on her strawberry cream cheese slathered bagel. Once both of them finished- Natsu practically inhaling his food while Lucy savored the taste- she went to retrieve her school bag. When she returned, she found Natsu staring at her expectantly.

"Where's your sweater?" he asked with an irritated voice.

"It's dirty!" Lucy answered. He didn't expect her to wear it every single day did he?

"Fine," Natsu grumbled. He picked up Lucy's scarf and wrapped it around her neck. "You have to at least wear this."

"And why is that? Are you marking your territory for the other boys in school?" she teased.

Natsu only smirked at her. "Are you saying you're my territory?"

Lucy flushed from head to toe and was about to retort but Natsu was already cackling and dragging her out of her home. She quickly realized that even after they left, he still never let go of her hand. In fact, he even made it more intimate when he intertwined his fingers with hers. While Lucy loved the feel of his warm, calloused hand, it utterly confused her. They hadn't talked about the event that transpired Christmas Eve once and now he was holding her hand like he was her boyfriend.

" _Boyfriend?"_ she wondered. " _Is he my boyfriend? Is that why he's holding my hand? I should ask. No, that's too desperate. Mavis, being in love is hard."_

"Oi, you there, Luce?"

"Huh?" the blonde questioned, suddenly brought out of her thoughts as Natsu shook her hand.

He chuckled and then replied, "You were zoning out on me. I was asking you if you were planning on going to the New Year's formal."

"New Year's formal?"

"Yeah, the school throws a dance the Friday after Christmas break every year and we call it the New Year's formal."

"Why can't this school just be normal and have a winter formal?"

Natsu smirked. "Because that's too boring. Anyways… Are you going?"

Lucy blushed and she played with her scarf with her free hand. "I-I don't know… I haven't been asked…"

"But if you're asked will you go?"

"Well, it depends."

"On what?"

"On who's asking me!"

"Oh," was all that Natsu said, irritating the girl. "Okay!"

" _Well,"_ Lucy thought begrudgingly, " _I guess we aren't dating."_

Once the two arrived at the school, Lucy became a nervous wreck. By then she knew that she and Natsu weren't dating, but she knew that they had some sort of special relationship. It was their first day back in school with this "relationship" and the girl was utterly confused as to what she was supposed to do when they approached her math class. Was she supposed to kiss him? Was he supposed to kiss her? Or were they supposed to hug instead? Perhaps they weren't supposed to do anything at all?

Lucy didn't have any more time to stress about the endless possibilities as there simply wasn't enough time. Once they approached her math classroom, Natsu let go of her hand and ruffled her hair before turning around and going back to his own class. The blonde sighed with disappointment and entered her classroom.

"It is good to see you again, Lucy," Erza calmly greeted. Despite having to wake up earlier than the rest of the students for student council meetings, the redhead always appeared as though she didn't miss a second of sleep. "How was your break?"

"Morning, Erza!" Lucy greeted in return, temporarily forgetting about her sour mood. "It was great! How was your New Year's?"

"It was fantastic. J-Jellal asked me to accompany him to the New Year's formal this Friday."

"H-He did?" Lucy inquired, trying her best to maintain a cheery attitude, but it was futile as she was instantly reminded of her own issues with Natsu. Jellal was one of the shyest boys she ever met and yet even he was able to ask Erza to be his date to the dance.

Erza quickly picked up on the blonde's mood. "Don't fret about it, Lucy. We all know you and Natsu will end up going together. Give it time."

Lucy sighed in exasperation and laid her head on her desk. "I don't want to wait though! I want it now! I-I didn't tell you and Levy this yet, but some stuff happened at the Christmas party and long story short, Natsu and I made our feelings very clear! Yet we haven't talked about things since then and I don't know what our relationship is exactly and I just wanna be asked to the damn dance I just learned about this morning but Natsu is too much of a dense piece of-"

"Ahem," Wakaba interrupted. "Lucy, if you don't mind, I would like to start class. Complain about your boyfriend after class."

The girl's face was set ablaze as she buried her head in her arms. "He's not my boyfriend," she muttered.

* * *

As Natsu sat in his mechanics class first period, his thoughts drifted towards a certain blonde. He knew that things were a bit weird between them but he had no idea what to do in the slightest. The boy had absolutely no experience in this sort of thing. Was he supposed to ask her out? Was he supposed to take her on dates first? Did Lucy just assume they were together in the first place? _Were_ they together?

"Oi, flame brain, get your head out of your ass and help already," Gray said, slapping the distracted boy upside the head.

"Shut it, popsicle princess," Natsu grumbled as he rubbed his head.

"Both of you shut it and help me put this damn car together!" Gajeel shouted.

Gajeel definitely exceeded in mechanics class and surpassed the rest of their classmates. Though Natsu and Gray refused to admit it, they had no chance passing the class if it weren't for him. Everyone even believed that he was more experienced and knowledgeable than the teacher. This was the only class the teen aced on his own without cheating or help from Levy and he wasn't about to let his two idiot friends ruin that for him.

"What are you thinking about anyways?" Gray questioned. "Can't have you hurting yourself thinking too hard."

"Ha ha," Natsu replied, fighting the urge to start a fight. "It's none of your business."

"It's Lucy right? Why don't you just ask her already?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"To the dance. Gajeel and I were talking about asking Juvia and Levy to the dance and that's when you got all distracted. It's obvious you were thinking about Lucy. So just man up and ask her to the dance."

"Yeah, quit being such a wimp," Gajeel added. The two dark-haired teens shared a fist bump.

"Argh just be quiet already!" the pink-haired boy cried out, wanting nothing more than to bash their heads into the nearest wall.

"You shouldn't wait too long," Gajeel replied. "Levy told me that Bunny Girl is getting pretty popular. I can see guys staring at her during second period in our creative writing class."

"Well then why the hell don't you stop them!?"

"Why should I? Bunny Girl is single as far as I know. And let's not forget what happened last time someone tried to stop her from going out with someone."

"She was scarier than Erza," Gray said, repressing a shiver at the thought of the blonde's wrath.

"A-Aye," Natsu agreed.

"Anyways," Gajeel began, "you haven't defined the relationship, so Bunny Girl is single. Meaning that any of the guys in this crummy school could ask her to the dance and she would have no reason to say no."

"Lucy and I don't need to define anything! We're just fine the way we are! There's no need to change anything!" Natsu replied almost desperately. He forced himself to believe it but soon those thoughts would crumble away.

 **AN:** Hope you all enjoyed! :D Btw, I broke my phone on Wednesday which makes replying to reviews hard but I will do it anyways!

 **SingingAngel327:** Yes, Lisanna is a sweetheart! I feel like that is what she would be like in the actual manga, not the mean girl that everyone writes her to be (though I do love those stories too tbh).

 **Cookie panda-roo:** Thank you haha that was definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole story haha! :')

 **Sidjr100:** Thank you so much but it must come to an end eventually! D: Don't worry though, there's plenty of cute scenes before then!

 **Rose Tiger:** Thank you! :) Lisanna is a nice girl!

 **Alexa60765:** Ahhh thank you! :D And yesss the scarf was such an important gift. :')

 **Author Autumn:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! But I don't think that any of the other couples have any more moments besides jerza! The rest is all about Nalu! And no it wasn't the end! :D Chapter 25 will be the ending, followed by an epilogue! :D

 **SavageReaper:** Thank you so much that is such an amazing review you have no idea! :') I'm glad you love my story that much! :D And yes! You're the only one that talked about liking the group chat and I do too! I love the friendship Lucy has with everyone, they're all so unique and the group chat is my favorite too. :')

 **Iamtlani13:** THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND HAHA OOPS LET ME EXPLAIN. See, Lucy had the courage to do that but I would never! My boyfriend and I were already dating then so it wasn't courageous at all lmao! I would never be able to do that to my crush if we weren't dating haha! I would be way too scared and nervous!

 **Lunahartz:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Guest:** Thank you I loved that Jerza moment. :') I'm not really experienced in writing any of the other couples in the show other than Nalu but I actually really liked that moment!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** YES, NALU FOR THE WIN. THEY WILL ALWAYS COME THROUGH!

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Yes it did! :D Were you expecting it? :)

 **Brynn chan:** Thank you very much for another review! :)

 **Mavis Senpai:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Lunalover:** Hello again! :) And wow that sounds fun! Why are you going to Dallas? :) And it's all good! The story will be ready for you when you get back! :)


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Just three chapters left. :')

Chapter 22

Lucy was losing her patience. It was Wednesday, the last week of their classes until their schedules changed. Not to mention the fact that the dance was coming up on Friday. She waited patiently, hoping that Natsu would ask her to the dance, but he hadn't. There were only two more days left, if they were going to go together, he needed to ask soon.

After she quickly got ready for school, Lucy threw the door open and mustered up a glare at the unsuspecting boy waiting for her. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. They _kissed_ and he hadn't brought it up at all, then he brought up a dance to which he didn't ask her to! He was absurd if he thought he was going to toy with her feelings like that without any consequences.

"Oi, what's with the nasty glare?" Natsu asked, his hands raised in front of him in surrender.

"It's nothing," the blonde fibbed, marching down the steps and towards the school.

Once Natsu caught up to her, she watched him in the corner of her eyes. He was fidgeting with his scarf and his brows were furrowed. She could see a light pink dusting his cheeks. Feeling a warm grip encircle her wrist, the girl was turned to face him.

" _Is he going to ask me!?"_ Lucy frantically wondered, hope sprouting in the pit of her stomach.

Natsu's gaze was averted from hers as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Look, Lucy…"

" _This is it!"_ she thought. "Yes, Natsu?"

"I wanted to ask you something…" he replied, kicking small pebbles with the tip of his foot.

" _Oh my god here it is!"_

"Are you on your period?" Natsu finally asked, bringing his gaze up to look at hers.

All hope shattered within Lucy and was instead replaced with a searing rage. It took all of the control she had not to slap the boy across the face. Instead, the blonde marched past him without another word. There was no way she could deal with such stupidity so early in the morning.

"Lucy, wait up!" Natsu shouted after her as he easily caught up. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it! I'll just come over after school with chocolate and another crappy romance movie like always!"

"Shut it, Dragneel," Lucy replied.

Lucy ignored Natsu's remarks the rest of the way to school and angrily marched into her classroom without muttering a goodbye. The girl plopped onto her seat with a heavy sigh. An arm draped around her shoulder, prompting her to look up and find Loke pulling his chair next to hers.

"What seems to be the problem, Lucy?" he asked with a gentle smile.

"Nothing," the blonde replied, shaking his arm off of her. Erza walked in and took her seat on the other side of Lucy. "Morning, Erza."

"Good morning, Lucy. What's wrong?" Erza asked, focusing her attention on her dear friend. "Is it because Natsu hasn't asked you to the dance yet?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"I can ask you to the dance if you want, Princess," Loke offered with a sly smile.

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Remember what happened last time you tried asking me to something? I'd rather not repeat that."

Loke chuckled and brought the girl closer, prompting her to lean her head on his shoulder. "I know, I was just kidding. I actually asked Aries to be my date! But don't worry, I'm sure Natsu will ask you eventually."

"He won't!" Lucy exclaimed. "Ugh, that guy has some nerve, you know that!? He makes me feel like he likes me and then he pretends nothing happened and ugh it's just so confusing and annoying!"

"Don't worry, Lucy. Natsu isn't as dense as you think."

* * *

"You're the densest human being I have ever met," Gray said as they sat at their usual table first period. Natsu was explaining to them that Lucy was in a bad mood and was warning them that he believed she was on her period. "First of all, if she was on her period, you never ask if that's why she's mad. Second of all, she's not mad about that, idiot."

"Well then what the hell is she so upset about!?" Natsu asked, throwing his arms up in the air. "I haven't done anything!"

"Exactly! You haven't done anything!" Gray countered. "You still haven't grown a pair and asked her to the dance! Everyone else already asked their dates! I asked Juvia, Gajeel asked Levy, even Jellal asked Erza! You haven't done anything!"

"There's no way she's actually this upset about that!"

"You're an idiot," Gajeel groaned. "Listen, girls need time to prepare and shit for dances. This stuff is actually important to them for some reason. They get all embarrassed not having dates and Bunny Girl is probably embarrassed being the only one that wasn't asked yet. Do you know how long ago Levy bought her dress for the dance? Two months. Hell, she even bought Erza a prom dress and that's four months away from now. They need a shit ton of time to find their dresses and get ready and all the other crap they do together. You're only giving Bunny Girl two _days._ And even then she still doesn't know if she's going to go because you still haven't asked her."

"She knows we're going together!" Natsu protested. "It's obvious!"

"How is it obvious when you didn't ask?"

"Because we kissed! We're obviously going together!"

"You're hopeless," Gray said, shaking his head. "I feel bad for Lucy, falling for someone like you must suck."

"I feel bad for Bunny Girl too," Gajeel agreed.

"Shut up! You'll see! Lucy and I will go to the dance together and it'll be awesome!" Natsu persisted.

* * *

Lucy, Gray, Levy, and Juvia waded throughout the halls after their chemistry class ended. The halls were unusually full of couples as the dance was nearing. They were leaned against lockers, their lips locking in bliss while Lucy had no choice but to watch with resentment. Even Gray allowed Juvia to be clingier this week.

As they made it into the cafeteria, Lucy frowned at the sight of Natsu, who in turn shivered in fear. She reluctantly marched towards their lunch table, ready to give her best friend more of the silent treatment, when a sudden figure stood in her way. Craning her head upwards a bit, she gasped at the sight of one of her classmates from her creative writing class, Jacob.

Jacob was about a foot taller than her with charcoal hair and bright green eyes. He had a warm smile, warm enough to melt the hearts of most of the girls in school. He had a perfectly chiseled body and had the manners of a gentleman. He was everything Lucy thought she wanted in a boy before she met Natsu.

Lucy had only spoken to Jacob a few times, and sure those times were pleasant, but now she was confused and wondering why he was standing in front of her with flushed cheeks. In truth, she wanted to push past him so she could give Natsu a piece of her mind, but she figured that would be rude so she smiled at him instead.

"Umm, Lucy?" Gray questioned, his gaze switching between her and Natsu. "You coming?"

"I'll be there in a second!" Lucy said, dismissing her friends with a smile. She then turned her attention back towards Jacob. "Did you need something, Jacob?"

"Uhh, yeah," the lengthy boy answered, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Lucy wasn't blind, he was undoubtedly attractive and she could see why all of the girls swooned over him.

Gray and the others quickly walked to their table where a certain pink-haired boy was shooting daggers into the back of Jacob's back.

"Cool it, Natsu," Gray said, watching the scene unfold with cautious eyes. He knew that his friend might go overboard with his jealousy like last time.

"Why the hell is he talking to her?" Natsu questioned, ignoring Gray's words.

"I think he's asking Lu-chan to the dance," Levy answered, never moving her eyes from her best friend.

"And why the hell is he doing that!? Lucy and I are going together!" Natsu stood up from his seat, only to be pulled back down by everyone else at the table.

"It's your own fault for not listening to us!" Gray exclaimed.

Erza nodded her head and added, "He is right. You have to respect Lucy's decision at this point."

Natsu growled in response and shook all of their hands off of him. While he wanted nothing more than to go over there and beat the living daylights out of Jacob, he knew they were right. So he watched intently, never letting his eyes waver from the girl he wanted to call his own.

Lucy cocked her head cutely to the side as she stared quizzically at the boy in front of her. He hadn't said a word more since she asked him and instead became a blushing mess as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Were all boys this confusing? Just then, some of Jacob's friends walked up carrying different signs. The blonde was confused at first but read the signs carefully, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping with each sign.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" was written on the signs, one word for each sign. One of Jacob's friends handed him a bouquet of red roses, to which the boy held in front of him.

"Lucy, will you go to the dance with me?" Jacob asked with a shy smile and flushed cheeks. Everyone in the cafeteria gasped as one of the hottest guys in school was finally asking a girl to the dance. A lot of girls glared at Lucy with envy.

Lucy gaped at the boy, unable to speak. Her eyes flickered towards Natsu, who stared back at her with a hard gaze. His brows were furrowed and his arms were crossed. They maintained eye contact for what seemed like forever until Jacob cleared his throat, forcing the blonde to face him again.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, urging the flowers towards her.

Lucy glanced around and whispered, "Can I talk to you in private?"

Jacob immediately misunderstood, which was clear to Lucy as he grinned widely at her. Everyone in the cafeteria roared with applause as Lucy quickly led the way out and into an empty hallway.

"Here, I got these for you," Jacob said, persistent with the roses.

"I-I know you did, and thank you," Lucy replied, accepting the flowers into her own hands. "B-But, I can't go to the dance with you."

The boy's green eyes widened as he frowned. "Why not?"

"B-Because I am waiting for somebody else to ask me," the blonde answered truthfully.

Jacob's frown deepened. "Lucy, it's Wednesday. The dance is in two days. If he hasn't asked you yet what makes you think he's going to ask at all?"

Lucy returned the frown and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't…"

"So just go with me! We don't have to do anything you don't want to and I'll be a complete gentleman! I'll make sure the night is fun!"

"Jacob-"

"C'mon, Luce!"

"Don't call her that," a sudden voice rang out from behind the two. Lucy gasped once she saw it was Natsu and the others.

Jacob glared at the pinkette. "And why not?"

Natsu returned the glare. "Because only I can call her that."

"Says who?" Jacob sneered. "Luce hasn't told me she has a problem with it."

"I'm warning you, pal. Don't push it."

The dark-haired boy took slow steps towards Natsu. "Luce, Luce, Luce."

"Here we go…" Gray muttered under his breath.

Just as Jacob stopped in front Natsu, he gave a wicked grin, one that Lucy had never seen before. She knew that Jacob was a kind person and that he was probably just jealous with Natsu, but she couldn't help but feel irritated that he looked at the boy she loved like that. Natsu on the other hand only returned the grin. And just so suddenly like a flash of light, he brought his fist up and punched the other boy straight in the jaw. Lucy shrieked while the rest of the group only groaned. They knew it was bound to happen.

"I warned you. Stay away from my girl," Natsu said in a lower than normal tone of voice. Jacob remained on the floor, rubbing his aching jaw. Natsu walked towards Lucy and smiled greatly at her. "C'mon Luce! I'm starving!" With that, he grabbed the shocked girl's wrist and dragged her back into the cafeteria so that they could enjoy whatever time left they had for lunch.

Gray sighed exasperatedly and helped Jacob up to his feet once the two left.

"Sorry about that," he said. "But you should really try to stay away from Lucy."

"I didn't know that she was his girlfriend," Jacob muttered.

"She isn't. Natsu's just an idiot."

And with that, the group went back to their table to watch their two complicated friends continue to make things harder than necessary.

 **AN:** I WILL ALWAYS LOVE JEALOUS NATSU.

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh someone did ask her but she said no! Yay! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Because cliffhangers are fun and I love reading/writing them! :D

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Nice! :D I wanted it to be unexpected! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you haha! :D This chapter had a bit too! :)

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Sorry I didn't make Dan ask! I wrote this forever ago and Dan didn't come to mind when I wrote it, sorry! AND YOU GOT MORE NATSU JEALOUSY! :D And I checked out your story and I believe I reviewed. :)

 **SavageReaper:** I reply to all of my reviews! :D And of course don't worry, Lisanna is a sweetheart and she will have a happy ending of her own. :) And I know me too I absolutely loved this story but it has to happen! :')

 **Sidjr100:** Haha thank you for another kind review! :D

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! :D And I review every other day! :) I don't like making people wait too long. :)

 **KawaiiKitsune13:** Thank you I'm glad you found it and enjoyed! :D

 **Brynn chan:** I know Natsu is a dummy! Soon it'll be all good though. :)

 **Iamtlani13:** I do enjoy chatting with you! I am actually 19 and a sophomore in college lmao.

 **Soul Eater Maka:** The dance is coming soon, we just gotta get Natsu to ask her first! :D


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS. It's really short but cute in my opinion so I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 23

After Lucy was walked to her apartment after school by Natsu, she was disappointed that he left the moment they got to the door. The girl wanted to talk to him about the events that transpired at lunch but wasn't given the opportunity as he quickly ran off. Thus, she let out a sad sigh and began to do her homework.

About an hour passed and Lucy finally finished her tedious homework. Natsu hadn't texted her at all during that time and she was really starting to get annoyed. All hope of her going to the dance with the boy of her dreams vanished and she began to regret not taking Jacob up on his offer. That was when she heard her phone buzz. To her chagrin, it wasn't Natsu, but was instead the group chat. She stared at the new notifications with a small smile.

 _Lisanna was added to the group chat._

 _Jellal was added to the group chat._

 _"It's about time!"_ Then her phone buzzed again.

 **Gray:** Lucy

The said girl raised a brow and quickly typed her reply.

 **Lucy:** What?

 **Levy:** Heartfilia

Lucy stared at the new text quizzically.

 **Lucy:** What is it?

 **Cana:** Meet

 **Juvia:** Us

 **Erza:** In

 **Gajeel:** The

 **Lisanna:** Arcade

 **Jellal:** In

 **Gray:** 20

 **Levy:** Minutes.

Lucy giggled at her friends though she was utterly confused. Why they had to ask her to come like that, she had no clue. But she happily obliged and got dressed in some light jeans and a white blouse. She wrapped her scarf around her neck over her necklace and began her slow walk towards the arcade. She reminisced during the walk as it reminded her of the time she met most of her friends. Of course, Natsu wasn't there, but it was still a happy day for the girl. It was the day she realized that friends weren't a bad thing and that she could use some more.

Lucy sighed happily as she realized how much she changed since she first attended Fairy Tail High. The girl was no longer only friends with two people and instead had a group of close friends she knew enough about to write books about them. She gained trust towards others and was no longer the secretive, scared girl she used to be. She was no longer in a cold shell and instead burst with joy. She gained many friends, gained confidence, and even found love.

Entering the shabby arcade, Lucy looked around and couldn't find her friends. Glancing at her watch, she realized that she was on time and frowned. Did they leave without her? She shook her head and ventured deeper into the arcade, searching every spot for her friends. Just as she began to lose hope, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Pulling it out, she stared at the text from the group chat and let out a sigh of relief.

 **Gray:** Lucy

The blonde quickly typed in a reply, questioning where they were.

 **Lucy:** Where are you guys? I don't see you!

 **Levy:** Will

Lucy frowned at the cryptic text. Why were her friends being so strange?

 **Erza:** You

" _Will I what?"_

 **Juvia:** Go

" _Will I go where!?"_

 **Cana:** To

 **Gajeel:** The

 **Lisanna:** Dance

 **Jellal:** With

 **Natsu:** Me?

Lucy's jaw dropped on its hinges as she stared at the texts. She read them over and over again, searching for a typo or waiting for them to announce it was a joke. It never came though.

 **Natsu:** Turn around.

The blonde nearly dropped her phone after reading the newest text as she slowly forced her body to move. Turning a whole 180 degrees, she gaped at the sight of her friends all standing in a line, holding their phones with their texts. All of them smiled- even Gajeel- as Natsu slowly walked towards her with a bouquet of pink roses.

"That other guy messed up," Natsu said in a hushed tone. "Roses are your favorite flower, but your favorite color is pink."

Lucy was speechless as the boy took her hand and wrapped her fingers around the flowers. She stared into his onyx eyes with wonder. Natsu chuckled and ruffled her golden locks of hair.

"I know I sorta stole that guy's idea, but I think mine is more special because I have _our_ friends asking with our group chat. And I got the flowers right. So, Lucy… Will you go to the dance with me?" he finally asked inching closer towards the girl.

Lucy smiled and wiped away the few tears that crept into her eyes. It's not like she wanted to cry, it was just so sweet and kind and she was into cheesy stuff like that. Nodding her head, she giggled.

"Finally," the girl replied, throwing her arms around the unsuspecting boy. When she pulled apart from the hug, she planted her lips onto his in an everlasting kiss, both of them smiling the whole time. They only stopped their kiss when Gray and Gajeel began to boo them.

"Congrats, Lu-chan!" Levy squealed, bringing the blonde in for a bone-crushing hug. The rest of the girls followed the process while the boys only clapped Natsu on the back in congratulations.

"Juvia is excited to go to the dance with everyone!" the blunette said.

"It's my job to spike the punch," Cana added.

"Don't you dare," Erza threatened.

"I can't wait either!" Lisanna exclaimed. "We should all get dressed up together! What about at your place, Lucy?"

That was when the blonde remembered something very important. She didn't have a dress.

"Natsu, you idiot!" Lucy screeched, strangling the boy. "Now I only have two days to find the perfect dress!"

"Luce, stop… I can't… breathe…" Natsu managed to choke out. Once the blonde did, he sent her a nasty glare. "Sheesh, are you trying to kill me before the dance!?"

"I should since you were stupid and asked me late!" Lucy retorted.

"Kill him later, Lu-chan!" Levy said before the two could argue more. "All of us girls are going to help you find a dress while the boys help Natsu find a tux!" The petite girl faced Gajeel and continued, "Don't buy a tie until we send you a picture of her dress. It has to match!"

"Sounds like a superb plan," Erza said. "Let's go!"

And with that, the girls were dragging Lucy away towards the mall in search of a perfect dress that hopefully nobody else would wear to the dance. There was a time crunch, but the girl had complete faith in her friends.

* * *

"What about this one, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, holding up an emerald green dress with an abundance of ruffles.

The blonde cringed at the sight and shook her head. "No thanks, Levy-chan."

"What about this one?" Cana asked with a drunken smirk. She had a black, skintight dress with cut out parts on the side and the back that exposed a hefty amount of cleavage.

"No way!" Lucy shrieked. "I wanna dress modest for the dance!"

"Oh so any other day you would wear this?"

"Shut up!"

"Lucy, I found the perfect gown for you," Erza announced as she approached them. "I went in the back and got this for you."

The blonde deadpanned and asked, "Wait do you mean the back of the store where only _employees_ are allowed to go?"

"Yes," the redhead answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyways, this dress is perfect and I forbid you from wearing anything else. I also found the perfect shoes."

Lucy sighed and replied, "Well, let me see it!"

Erza then pulled out a gown from behind her back and lifted it high so it didn't drag on the floor. All of the girls gasped at its beauty, Lucy included. It was a light pink dress that poofed out a bit at the hips. The top of it was a sweetheart neckline that was embodied with beautiful silver gems that sparkled beautifully under the light. It was magnificent. She needed it.

"I love it!" Lucy squealed, taking the dress into her own hands. "But what if someone else bought this dress?"

"I don't think anyone else would sneak into the back of a store to find this dress," Cana replied, taking another swig of vodka.

"You're right! Erza, you're the best! Let's buy it!"

The girls excitedly walked towards the cashier and gently placed the dress on the counter. Erza also placed the pair of heels she found on the counter. They were sparkly as they were doused in silver glitter. They matched the dress perfectly. The cashier looked at the dress and then glanced towards the back of the store. He then glanced at the girls skeptically but shrugged his shoulders and sold the dress anyways, even though he knew that it was taken from the back.

"Let me send a picture of it to Gajeel!" Levy said as she snapped pictures of the gown.

* * *

"Oi, Levy finally sent me a picture of the dress," Gajeel said as the boys ate in the food court. They weren't as rushed as the girls to find the perfect tux. After all, it didn't matter if boys had the same tuxedo so they had plenty of options. "Let's go now so that the girls don't kill us."

"Aye," all the boys said in agreement. They went to the closest and cheapest tux rental store and Gajeel showed them all the picture. Natsu groaned as the dress was the same shade of pink as his hair.

"Looks like you'll have to wear pink to the dance," Gray said, nudging his friend in the ribs. He cackled once he found the perfect tux to match Lucy's dress. The coat and slacks were black and the dress shirt was white, but the vest was pink, along with the tie.

"Shut up," Natsu said, snatching the clothes and walking towards the counter. "And for your information, it's _salmon."_

And just like that, everyone was ready for the dance, anticipating it with excited hearts.

 **AN:** I know it's an extremely short chapter, but the next one is longer!

 **Cookie panda-roo:** I know, at least they're done being dense idiots now! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Thanks for both reviews! :) And I know I looooove jealous Natsu it's so amazing!

 **Sidjr100:** Haha he's one of my favorites too! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 **Mavis Senpai:** Jealous Natsu just makes my heart sing. :')

 **Rose Tiger:** He isn't a dope anymore! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** True! She said no to what would've been her dream guy for him! Luckily he asked and it was cute. :')

 **Alexa60765:** HAHAHA nahh, she had to say no! :D And it's a good thing she did because now she got asked. :')

 **Magnificent dragoness:** DAMN IT I DIDN'T THINK OF THAT. I WISH I HAD A GIRL ASK NATSU TO MAKE LUCY JEALOUS. DARN IT. Well, too late now. :'( I just always go for jealous Natsu because he's amazing lol.

 **Sam1114:** HE ASKED HER NOW YAY!

 **SavageReaper:** Yes the story is ending soon, it is sad! But I can assure you the friendship thing lasts until the very end!

 **FT-Senpaii:** Thank you so much! :D I never really considered myself that great of a writer but now I feel good. :') And yes, there will be another Nalu story (nalu for the win) posted once this one ends! :D And I just can't help it, I absolutely looooove cliffhangers lol.

 **An Amber Pen:** Looks like your smack worked because he finally asked Lucy to the dance! :D

 **Iamtlani13:** YES HE JUST ASED HER YAY! :D

 **Zexalloverforever39:** He really does. That's why I just can't help but make him jealous all the time. :D

 **Brynn chan:** Don't worry he asked now! :D And thank you haha! :)

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Haha thank you so much! I feel like the period question is something Natsu would definitely do haha! :D


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Second to last chapter! Thanks to all of you for sticking with the story. :')

Chapter 24

It was nearing six o'clock on Friday night as Lucy found herself surrounded in her apartment by all of her female friends. She knew that she agreed to host the whole thing, but she really should've reconsidered. All of the girls were dressed in expensive and beautiful dresses, there simply wasn't enough room to walk freely. They all had to carefully watch their steps so as to not dirty someone else's gown. Yet, the blonde found the whole thing exhilarating.

Lucy had never been to a school dance before. Sure, she had been to plenty of balls when she lived in the mansion, but during those times she would be forced to stand in a corner and smile at the guests. Her sole purpose was to stand pretty and smile and attract potential husbands. This school dance was something else entirely. She had friends and a date she _wanted_ to be with. It was going to be fun, she would make sure of it.

All of the girls made a train to curl each other's hair. Since Lisanna's hair was too short to curl, she was at the back of the train and was curling Erza's long mane of scarlet hair into neat ringlets. Erza in turn curled Lucy's while she would curl Levy's. Levy would then curl Juvia's while she would in turn curl Cana's. The brunette was at the front of the train because nobody trusted the drunk girl to have a heated iron by their heads. When everyone's hair was all finished, they split into pairs to apply each other's makeup. Lucy was glad that she was paired up with Lisanna. Though the silver-haired girl never wore makeup on most days, she was surprisingly skilled in applying it to others.

"A-Are you sure you're okay with this whole me and Natsu thing?" Lucy questioned softly so that the other girls didn't hear. She felt guilty knowing that Lisanna helped Natsu ask her to the dance when she herself had feelings for him.

Lisanna giggled and nodded her head. "For the last time, Lucy, I'm fine with it. Cana and I are going to be dancing together the entire night anyways, I won't be lonely."

The blonde smiled at her dear friend. "Good!"

Once makeup was finished, the only thing left to do was take pictures. Lucy pulled out her camera and set the timer and ran towards her friends so that she could be in the shot as well. The girls took many pictures varying in poses. Some were serious while others were silly. Then the blonde took pictures with each of the girls individually, followed by a picture with her, Erza, and Levy. There was a loud knock on the door, signaling that the boys arrived.

"Yo, Lucy," Gray greeted smoothly as he entered the already cramped apartment. "You look nice. Way too nice for someone like Flame Brain to take to the dance. You sure you made the right choice turning down Jacob?"

Lucy laughed and nudged her brother-like friend in the ribs. "Hush, Fullbuster. Just go see your girlfriend. She looks amazing."

"She's not my girlfriend," the boy murmured, though he walked past the blonde and straight towards the blunette they were just speaking about.

"You look great, Lucy," Jellal said as he walked in behind Gray.

"Ehh, I guess you look alright," Gajeel added. While other girls would probably run crying hearing that from a boy, Lucy only giggled. Something like that was a great compliment coming from the pierced teen.

"Lucy! My Princess!" Loke cried out, grabbing the girl's hand once Gajeel made room for him to enter as well. "You look completely ravishing! It's such a shame you and I weren't made for each other!"

The said girl giggled and brought her childhood friend into a hug. "Where's Aries? I thought you two were going together?"

"We are, but we are meeting at the dance. She's getting ready with her friend Libra and I wanted to make sure you were ready for your first dance!"

"Thanks, Loke. Go inside with the others."

The orange-headed boy smiled knowingly at the girl and bent down to whisper, "He's been dying to see you all night."

Lucy flushed from head to toe, beginning to match the color of her dress. Once Loke walked past her and into the apartment, all that was left was Natsu. He stood in front of her and damn did he look _amazing._ His slacks and coat were left perfectly unwrinkled and the crisp collar of his undershirt was neat in its place. His vest and tie certainly did match his hair but it didn't look silly like the others thought. It actually looked perfect and it suited him greatly. Of course he was still adorning his signature scarf. All in all, he looked neat and like a prince coming to save his princess. She had never seen him so dressed up before and it was taking its toll on her as her mouth parted and dried immediately, her cheeks flaming and her heartrate increasing.

Natsu smirked at the clear reaction he was receiving and took the time to inspect his own date. Lucy's dress fit her splendidly. The sweetheart neckline accentuated her already grand chest and the starlight twinkled off of the gems magnificently. The way the dress flowed from her hips showed off her curves and while that in itself was sexy, overall the only word that came to mind at the sight was beautiful. The ruby necklace he gave her was now left uncovered and sparkled brighter than the stars in the sky. She truly was breathtaking in every aspect. While Natsu admired her in every setting, whether it be in skimpy clothing, gym clothes, and now this beautiful ball gown, Lucy was the most gorgeous girl he had ever laid his eyes on and absolutely nothing would ever change that.

"H-Hi," the boy finally greeted, feeling unusually shy. He had never been in this situation before and was unsure as to what to do.

"H-Hello," Lucy greeted in return.

"Lucy, you look… _beautiful,"_ Natsu breathed out, taking tantalizing steps towards the girl.

Lucy felt her breath hitch in her throat as he leaned forward, his forehead upon her own and their noses brushing against each other. His lips met hers in a soft touch before he pulled away and smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're my date," he said, never averting his eyes from hers.

"I am too," Lucy replied. Her voice was hushed though she didn't mean it to be and her eyelids were still heavy from their short kiss.

"C'mon, love birds," Cana's voice rang out, causing the two to jump away from each other. "We got a dinner to go to and a dance to crash!"

"Aye!" the rest of the group shouted, pushing past Lucy and Natsu to lead the way towards the restaurant Erza made a reservation for.

Lucy and Natsu laughed together before running after their friends, the former trying her hardest not to trip running in her heels. Surprisingly, none of the girls fell nor did any of them break a sweat on the way towards the fancy restaurant. They were all now seated at a huge circular table. The building itself was grand, the ceiling way above their heads while a crystal chandelier dangled above their table. The wallpaper was crisp and regal, along with the furniture.

"Not a bad place," Gray said, also taking a look at the restaurant. "How did you manage to get a reservation so late when it seems this place is packed?"

Erza shrugged and answered, "Let's just say I know a guy."

The group decided not to question the redhead and instead focused on their meals. Lucy ordered fettucini alfredo tossed with shrimp and scallops. Natsu on the other hand ordered a whole steak with a baked potato and soup on the side. While she was poised and elegant, careful not to make a mess on her new gown, Natsu was messy and flung food over the table. The blonde winced as she saw a piece of flying food barely miss his suit.

"That's it," she grumbled. She picked up a napkin and tucked it into Natsu's vest so that he couldn't mess it up. "Remember, Natsu. This is a _rental._ If you mess this tuxedo up, you're screwed!"

"I know, Luce! Don't worry about it!" the pinkette persisted.

"Natsu Dragneel," the blonde said in a bone-chilling voice, "if you spill a single drop of food on any of our outfits, I will single-handedly drag your ass back to your place and cut your body up and store it in Happy's litterbox. Do you understand?" Everyone at the table gulped down their food while Natsu furiously nodded his head. "Good!"

* * *

Finally, it was the moment they had all been waiting for. The dance was finally beginning. Arriving about twenty minutes late, the large group entered the gymnasium of the school that was gorgeously decorated by Erza, Jellal, and the other students in the student council. The lights were off but the room was lit with Christmas lights. There was a professional photographer and a wall-long table of snacks and drinks. Lucy and the others- minus Erza and Jellal- laughed as they watched Cana sneak towards the punchbowl, trusty flask in hand.

"Remind me not to let you drink any of the punch," Natsu joked over the loud music. He grabbed the girl's wrist and led her into the center of the dance floor.

"Don't worry, I actually want to be sober enough to remember this night for the rest of my life," Lucy replied.

A fast-paced song blared throughout the gym and everyone jumped and danced to the music. The whole group- along with Aries when Loke found her- danced together in a moment of sheer bliss. Their adrenaline spiked and their laughter echoed throughout the school. Then a slow song began to play.

Lucy nervously met Natsu's eyes with tinted cheeks and giggled being able to see that he was blushing as well. Wrapping her arms around the boy's neck and laying her head on his chest, she began to rock side to side along with the slow beat of the music.

"You're supposed to put your hands on my hips," she said, followed by another giggle.

"S-Sorry," Natsu replied. He shyly placed his hands where he was told.

Lucy shivered from the touch. Even with her thick dress on, she could still feel the warmth of his hands and the thought of his hands being on such an intimate- or at least intimate in her eyes- spot sent tingles throughout her body. They danced silently in their own world feeling at bliss. When the song ended, Lucy was surprised that another slow song began to play. Bringing her head up from Natsu's chest, she glanced around the room.

Erza and Jellal were professionally waltzing with the beat. Gray had his hands awkwardly snaked around Juvia's waste, who in turn swooned as she had her arms wrapped around his neck. The blonde stifled a laugh as her eyes landed on Levy and Gajeel. With their height difference, it was painfully clear that dancing was hard for them. Since they couldn't wrap their hands around each other's bodies comfortably where they were supposed to be, they opted for holding hands and swaying side to side with the music. It truly was a cute sight to see. Then her eyes traveled towards the punch bowl where Cana and Lisanna were standing. While the brunette looked content, Lisanna looked bummed out. It was clear that she wanted to dance but had nobody to dance with and didn't want to dance on her own. Lucy knew what she had to do.

"Hey, Natsu," she said in a quiet voice. "How about you give Lisanna one dance?"

Natsu pulled away from the blonde and stared at her quizzically. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Lucy? You know how she feels about me…"

"I know, but I trust both of you completely," Lucy persisted. "Just a friendly dance. I know you two haven't had a chance to talk about all of this and I think all of my guilt would go away if you did. Just one dance?"

The pinkette sighed, then smiled at the girl. "Alright fine. _One_ dance. Then you're back to being all mine."

"Deal!"

The two held hands and waded through the large crowd of people towards the two girls standing by the snacks table. Both girls perked up at the sight of the couple approaching them.

"Are you guys having fun?" Lisanna questioned with a genuine smile.

"Yeah, but I think I could use a break," Lucy fibbed. "Hey Lisanna, why don't you take Natsu for a dance? I'll rest here with Cana for a bit!"

Lisanna's blue eyes widened as she switched her glance between the couple, both staring back at her with expectant smiles. "O-Oh, I don't know about that…"

Natsu then held a hand out for her. "C'mon, Lisanna. One dance wouldn't hurt, right?"

After receiving a reassuring nod from Lucy, Lisanna turned back towards Natsu and smiled. "I guess it wouldn't."

They both made their way back towards the dance floor, leaving Lucy and Cana to watch their retreating figures with smiles.

"You're a nice girl, Lucy," Cana said as she raised her cup full of spiked punch to her lips. "It was nice of you to do that for her."

Lucy shrugged and replied, "I think they need to talk it out. They were such great friends before and I don't wanna be the one to come between that."

Natsu wasn't fond of the idea of placing his hands on Lisanna's hips, which didn't go unnoticed by the silver-haired girl. So, she placed the palm of her hand into his to save from an awkward moment. They both smiled friendly grins at each other before dancing together to the slow song.

"I'm glad you found Lucy," Lisanna suddenly said.

Natsu blushed and averted his gaze. "Listen, Lisanna-"

"Don't. Your girlfriend already apologized to me a thousand times. If I hear one more apology I think I'm going to lose my mind. I just want us to stay friends, alright?"

The pink-haired boy smiled at his childhood best friend and nodded. "She's not my girlfriend by the way."

Lisanna blinked once, then twice. After Natsu didn't say anything, she pulled away from him and stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean she isn't your girlfriend!?"

Natsu sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "She's just not my girlfriend."

"And why not?"

"I don't know… We just don't need labels!"

"You also said that you didn't need to ask her to the dance. Do you remember what happened next? Someone else asked her and you nearly ripped his head off!"

Natsu groaned and dragged his hand down the side of his face. "I'm just not good at this sort of thing. Why can't I just be with her without the lable?"

Lisanna sighed and shook her head, answering, "If you want her to be _only_ yours and fully committed to you, you have to ask her to be your girlfriend, silly. Better do it soon before someone beats you just like last time. Hell, I might even ask her to be my girlfriend, she's so kind and beautiful-"

"Alright, alright! I'll ask her, sheesh!" Natsu smiled at his friend one last time as the song was coming to an end. "I'm glad we're still friends, Lisanna."

"Me too. Now, if I don't hear Lucy squeal and shout that you asked her out, I'm going to launch Erza at you."

The two friends laughed and reminisced about their childhood when they met Erza. They recalled the first time the redheaded demon beat Natsu to a pulp. They recalled all the times they spent meeting their other friends. They were going to talk more until Lisanna felt a gentle hand tap her shoulder. Turning around, she saw one of her classmates- who was a senior- staring sheepishly at her.

"Bixlow?" she questioned with an arched brow.

"Hey, Lisanna," the older boy greeted. "Do you wanna dance?" Sure enough, another slow song began to play while she was talking with Natsu.

The silver-haired girl turned to face Natsu with a pleading gaze. When she saw her friend nod back at her with a thumbs up, she turned around and nodded at Bixlow, allowing him to dance with her.

Natsu took that as his cue to return to Lucy and quickly walked towards the punchbowl. He stopped in his tracks and let out a low growl when he saw a boy he didn't recognize standing in front of Lucy. Natsu could tell by his face and body language that the boy was flirting with her. Though he wanted to run up and punch the guy, he decided to watch for Lucy's reaction instead. He watched has Lucy frowned at him and shook her head. The girl then gestured towards Cana and Natsu knew then that she had rejected him. With a toothy grin, the boy walked towards the girl of his dreams, his heart beating fast with every step.

Lucy saw him approaching and turned to face him, completely dismissing the boy that previously asked her out- who was now flirting with Cana instead. "Natsu, what are you-"

Natsu crashed his lips onto the blonde's and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Pulling away, he stared into her widened brown eyes and chuckled. "Wanna get out of here?" he whispered into her ear.

Lucy looked both ways, checking to see if anyone was watching. To her relief, Cana and the other boy left to the dancefloor. Turning her attention back on Natsu, she grinned and nodded her head. Natsu then took her wrist and dragged her out of the gymnasium and onto the streets of Magnolia. It was dark and chilly, so Natsu removed his coat and scarf and gave it to the shivering girl beside him.

"You should've worn your scarf and the sweater I bought you," he said, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Lucy laughed and replied, "That wouldn't match my dress! Where are we going anyways? Are we going to go back to the dance later?"

"Not unless you want to. And we're going to the park!"

"The park?"

"I want to talk to you about something and it's a nice night out so just go with it."

With that, the two walked in a comfortable silence towards the park. It was a half hour walk, Lucy taking her heels off halfway. They sat on the swings, not minding if it messed their clothes up at all. All that mattered in that moment was them.

"Hey Luce," Natsu began, "I have to confess something."

Lucy stared at him with a concerned and fearful expression, negative thoughts immediately clouding her brain. "W-What is it?"

The pink-haired boy ruffled his hair and sighed before continuing, "I think I'm a bit possessive."

"Possessive?"

"Yeah. I don't like sharing at all."

"What does this have to do with-"

"I don't like sharing food, games, clothes- hell, it took me years to let someone wear my scarf and that was only with you. Point is, I don't like sharing what I consider to be mine."

Lucy cocked her head to the side, not understanding his point at all. "Okay…"

Natsu chuckled and continued. "For a smart girl you sure take a while figuring things out." Ignoring the blonde's protests, he went on. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't like sharing things, especially the things that are most important to me. And it's even worse when it comes to the most important thing in my life."

"What's that?"

"You, obviously."

Lucy gasped and then clamped her mouth shut. All of this was too good to be true and she didn't want to say something to mess it all up.

Natsu stifled a laugh at the girl's expression. "I know you're independent and everything, but I consider you _mine_ , Luce. Not mine as in I own you or anything, but mine as in I don't want to share you with anyone." Taking a deep breath, he urged himself to continue. "I don't want to see you hugging any other guy, kissing him, or talking to him in the way that you talk to me with those bright eyes of yours. Do you know how many guys I almost pulverized because of you?"

"Well, you did beat Jacob up," Lucy replied with a giggle.

"That's true! And you know, Luce, it's kind of your fault!"

"What do you mean it's my fault!?"

"Well, if you didn't make me fall in love with you, I wouldn't be so jealous like I am now! And you know, I think the only way we can prevent a situation like that from ever happening again is if you and I date."

"Y-You want to be an official couple?"

"Yep! And just know that if you say no and reject me, you are submitting other boys like Jacob into a world of pain because they are going to look at you in a way I don't like and then I'm going to have to destroy them! So why don't you save them from all of that and be my girlfriend?"

Lucy blinked once, then twice. Then she burst into a fit of laughter.

"Natsu Dragneel," she started, "you can never do anything normally, can you?"

Natsu smirked and answered, "It wouldn't be as fun if I did."

"Alright then. You've got yourself a deal! I will be your girlfriend to keep you from beating up other guys! _Only_ for that reason though. Don't think that I actually like you."

Natsu roared with laughter and replied, "I would never." Swiftly getting up from his swing, he stood in front of the blonde and smirked at her. "Well, now that you're my girlfriend, I can kiss you any time I want."

Lucy suppressed a shudder as she breathed out, "I suppose you can…"

With that, Natsu leaned forward and placed his lips onto Lucy's, their lips molding together perfectly. Lucy gripped the chains holding up the swing and moaned into the kiss. It was their first kiss as an official couple and it was everything she ever wanted. It was under the stars and they were away from everyone else in their own world. With Natsu as her boyfriend, Lucy knew that her life was going to be forever be full of fun and love.

 **AN:** How cute. :') And not a cliffhanger for once. :') LAST CHAPTER NEXT TIME, BUT THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE! :D

 **SavageReaper:** That won't be the last of the group chat. :')

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** NOW THERE'S EVEN MORE OFFICIAL NALU YAY!

 **Author Autumn:** And he just did make them official. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh, that'll have to be a headcanon thing haha! :D

 **Sidjr100:** And now he's asking her to be his girlfriend. He's growing up so fast. :')

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Thank you so much! :D As always!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** OH THAT'S GOOD! I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT!

 **Alexa60765:** THANK YOU SO MUCH. What a great story now that it's all happiness. :')

 **Dogsrcool5:** I will write more, thank you! :D

 **Sam1114:** I know he's finally not dense! :D

 **Guest:** Sorry, there'll be no Meredy. :(

 **Iamtlani13:** I don't mind you asking at all! My real name is Julia! :D

 **Mavis Senpai:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Why were they crying!? D:

 **Brynn chan:** Somebody will ask you one day, and if not to a dance, then to something better I promise! :)

 **An Amber Pen:** Thank you it was one of my favorites too! :)

 **Badgirlgoth:** Thank you so much. :)

 **BloodedInk:** oh you made an account awesome! :D

 **Guest:** I like answering questions in reviews, so here we go. :) First, yes he did! :) Second, it's all because of their pasts, you know? :) Third, since it's an AU there is none! :D


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THE CHAPTER! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER AND I KNOW IT SUCKS I AM TERRIBLE WITH ENDINGS I AM SO SORRY. I'm sure you all wanted to watch Lucy and Natsu progress as a couple, but if I wrote all that I wouldn't know how to end it lmao. SO, I wrote the ending with a big time skip! THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING AND SUPPORTING THIS STORY UNTIL THE END! I LOVE THIS STORY AND I'M SAD IT'S ENDING BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE! Also, important AN at the end! :D

Chapter 25

 _One year and five months later._

Lucy fidgeted in her spot, her hands clammy and heart racing. This was supposed to be one of the biggest days in her life and she didn't want to make a fool out of herself. Sure they had all rehearsed it plenty of times, but the girl continued to fear forgetting what she was supposed to do or tripping or even being unable to move. Like she was at the moment.

A warm hand gently grabbed her own and intertwined its fingers with hers. Lucy released a breathy sigh and gripped the hand tightly for reassurance. Hearing an all too familiar chuckle beside her, she promptly raised her fist and brought it into her partner's gut, smirking as he bent over clutching his stomach.

"What the hell was that for, Luce?" Natsu choked out as he glared at his girlfriend.

"That was for laughing at me when I'm nervous," the blonde answered, not even sparing him a glance.

The pink-haired boy chuckled and replied, "Sheesh, Luce. There's nothing to be worried about! All we have to do is walk on stage, grab the dumb piece of paper, and walk to our seats!"

"I know it _sounds_ as simple as that, but it's not! What if I fall on my face-"

"That would be hilarious."

Lucy delivered a swift blow to her boyfriend's gut once more and continued, "Or if I freeze in front of everyone? Or I shake the wrong hand or I look stupid-"

"Lucy, stop worrying already! None of those things are going to happen, I won't let them!" Natsu assured, squeezing her hand. "Your tassel is on the wrong side, you don't flip it until after the ceremony." He brought his hands to the girl's cap and brought the gold tassel back to its rightful place.

That only seemed to make the girl even more nervous. "See!? I'm already messing up!"

Gray groaned, unable to deal with hearing any more of his "sister's" complaints. "Chill out, Lucy. It's going to be just fine!"

"Yeah, your yapping is getting annoying," Gajeel added, rubbing his temples to prevent an incoming headache. He yelped as his girlfriend stomped on his foot.

"Don't be mean to Lu-chan," Levy barked, glaring at her tower of a boyfriend.

"Levy is right, Gajeel," Erza chimed in with a stern voice. "You should be kind to your friends. But Lucy, you really should calm down. Graduation will be a success."

Lucy tensed at the word. Graduation. The girl knew that it was supposed to be one of the biggest days in her life but she absolutely hated it. And no, she wasn't uptight because she was nervous of what she said before. Instead, her feelings were more based around the fact that she didn't want high school to end.

Fairy Tail High School gave Lucy so many wonderful memories it was all too saddening to leave. Not to mention the fact that some of her friends were going to go separate ways from her. She loved her friends dearly and the thought of not seeing them five times a week scared the hell out of her. What if they were only friends because they saw each other so often? What if they never spoke again? What if they completely forgot about her? All of these negative possibilities were the true reason she was nervous. She didn't want to graduate. She knew the pain it brought with separation from attending last year's graduation ceremony.

 _It was a sunny day in Magnolia as Lucy and her group of friends sat on the bleachers as the band played its music. One of their very own was going to be graduating that day and ending their chapter of life at Fairy Tail High. Lucy was excited for Jellal. The once shy boy had quickly made a home for himself in their group of friends. The blonde knew that he had so many opportunities ahead of him, especially after Erza and his mother got him accepted into the school he wanted._

 _It was actually a boring ceremony. It was long and tedious listening to principal Makarov list off the names of people she didn't know. When the old man finally announced Jellal's name, however, the whole group stood up and roared with cheers for their friend as he retrieved his hard-earned diploma. Lucy cheered loudly with her friends and turned to face Erza, her happy smile dropping at the sight of tears slipping from the redhead's eyes. Not wanting to point it out in front of everyone, the blonde decided to let her friend deal with her problems on her own for the moment and would instead attempt to comfort her later. Thus, she returned to glumly watching Makarov hand diplomas out to random people._

 _After everyone got their diplomas and were seated, they listened to Makarov give a heartwarming speech. Finally, the graduating students moved their tassels to the opposite side of their caps and shouted in joy. They were glad that the torturous years of high school were finally over, just how Lucy imagined her own graduation to be like. However, after they all met up with Jellal- his mother hugging him tightly- she noticed Erza's eyes downcast._

 _"I'm so glad all of you were able to attend my son's graduation ceremony," Ms. Fernandez said, wiping the stray tears away from her eyes. "He's made such great friends. I wish I could invite you all over for a party, but I'm afraid we must be going now."_

 _"Going?" Lucy questioned, her gaze falling back on Erza's glum face._

 _Jellal's mother nodded her head and answered, "Jellal is scheduled to move into his dorm today."_

 _"But that's so soon!" Levy cried out._

 _"I know, but I can't afford to take any more time off and today is the only day I can take him. I'll leave you all to say your goodbyes."_

 _And just like that, Lucy realized why her friend was so upset. The blonde watched as Jellal hugged and said his goodbyes. She hugged him as well, feeling tears brimming her eyes as the blue-haired boy moved onto Erza. The couple stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, the rest of the group sympathizing for them. It had to have been hard being in different grades as Jellal was now going to move all the way to Acalypha._

 _Erza tried her best to contain her emotions but as soon as Jellal brought her into a hug, they all came rushing out. Tears cascaded once again from her eyes and into her boyfriend's brown graduation gown. The whole group winced at the sound of their usually steely friend's sobs._

Lucy shook her head, emerging from her thoughts. Since she watched Erza say a heartbreaking goodbye, the blonde feared saying her own to her dear friends. Of course it wasn't to all of them, but over half of them weren't going to attend Crocus University like she was. Gajeel was attending a school for mechanics in Acalypha while Cana was going to take over her dad's business in the brewery. Lisanna was going to attend a community college in Magnolia while working at Fairy Tail. The only ones that were going to be attending the same school were Erza and Levy. Gray, Juvia, and Natsu were going to be attending the community college in Crocus.

Imagining saying goodbye to her friends chilled Lucy to the core. She wanted to run away. She wanted to strip off the damned brown cap and gown and stomp on the golden tassel. She wanted to take her friends and run away with them so that their adventures could be infinite. But as the people in front of her began to move, the girl knew it wasn't possible. It was time.

All of the students were in two long columns, each standing by their graduation partner. Lucy held Natsu's hand for dear life as they followed Gray and Juvia out towards the football stadium. From there, two groups of two were to walk one by one and then the pair would separate and go onto opposite sides of the fields and sit down. When it was her and Natsu's turn to walk, her legs turned to jelly. Luckily, her boyfriend was there with a comforting squeeze and reassuring smile to at least get her to the checkpoint in which they had to separate. She sat beside Gray and waited as Levy took her spot on the other side of her. Erza then sat next to Levy, followed by Lisanna. On the other side was Juvia, sitting next to Natsu. He was then followed by Gajeel, Cana, and lastly Bixlow.

Finally it was time to receive their diplomas. Each row of students took turns standing and creating a line on both sides of the stage, reuniting with their partners as they shook hands with Makarov and Mira and retrieved their diplomas. They would then circle the stage and sit back in their seats.

As Lucy walked up the stairs onto the stage, her heart calmed down a bit as she saw Natsu on the other side doing the same. He sent her his infamous toothed grin as they both got their diplomas. Their names were announced and they locked their hands together as they walked down the center ramp of the stage. After they reached the bottom, Natsu pecked her cheek quickly and retreated towards his seat. Though Lucy's heart was still panged with the fear of saying goodbye to her friends, she did feel a bit better after the quick exchange.

Taking her seat besides Gray and waiting for Levy to get her diploma, the blonde was beyond relieved that she would at least have Natsu with her after graduation.

 _"I think I'm going to propose to you after graduation," Natsu announced. The two were cuddling in Lucy's bed. They had just started their senior year and were discussing their plans for the future._

 _"Please don't," Lucy replied with a giggle. "I'm way too young to be engaged."_

 _"Fine. After college then."_

 _Lucy brought a finger to her chin in thought. "Fine. I suppose I'll be old enough then."_

 _"Good. Hey Luce, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."_

 _"What is it?" the blonde questioned, turning around to face her boyfriend._

 _Natsu averted his gaze and fumbled with the ends of Lucy's golden hair. "Well, what exactly are we going to do after graduation? I know that you are going to Crocus University and I'm going to Crocus Community College, but what are we going to do about us?"_

 _Lucy frowned. She hoped she could put off this conversation for as long as possible, but it was futile. "I don't know… I guess I just assumed we would still be together…"_

 _"I know, I did too! But when would we see each other?"_

 _"After school?"_

 _"I know, but… Dorms have curfews and community colleges don't have dorms…"_

 _Lucy propped herself up on her elbows and stared at the boy with a puzzled expression. "What are you trying to say?"_

 _Natsu's cheeks were painted pink and he sat up as well. "I'm saying that I would have to get an apartment in Crocus."_

 _"And?"_

 _"And we've been spending almost every night together anyways so… Why don't we move in together after graduation, Luce? We could share an apartment."_

 _Lucy was surprised at the boy's proposal but eagerly smiled and nodded her head. "That sounds amazing!" Wrapping her arms around Natsu's torso, they both were relieved that that whole issue had been solved, giving them hope in their relationship despite going to different schools. Soon enough, they found an apartment that was a bit small but cheap enough for them both to manage._

"Oi, Earthland to Lucy," Gray said, waving a hand in front of the blonde's face. Once he saw that she was brought out of her thoughts, he chuckled. "Finally! I was asking you aren't you glad to be done with school?"

Lucy feigned a smile and weakly laughed. "O-Of course!" Turning her head, she found Levy with her typical cheery smile.

" _How is she not upset?"_ Lucy wondered. " _Her boyfriend is going to be living in a completely different town."_

As if reading her mind, Levy faced the blonde with a knowing smile.

"Everything will be fine, Lu-chan. Have faith," was all that the blunette said before turning her attention back to the other students retrieving their diplomas.

Once that was all settled, Makarov started to deliver a heartwarming speech.

"Brats," he began, "it has been wonderful having you all parading my school. You are all trouble makers, each and every single one of you. I'm so glad that all of you will be out of my hair and wreaking havoc in other parts of the world. I am proud of each of you for making it up to this point and I hold great pride knowing that I had to honor of being your principal. Congratulations, kids!"

With that, the students roared with shouts of joy and moved their tassels to the opposite side of their cap. Then they removed their caps and threw them high into the air, laughing as they came falling back down. This was it. They finally graduated. And Lucy was still restless.

Once everyone met up, Lucy was shocked to find herself wrapped into a tight embrace. Spotting the pink locks that rested on her shoulder, her body relaxed and she in turn wrapped her own arms around the boy. Natsu pulled away with a grin and held his diploma in front of her.

"We did it, Luce!" he shouted, lifting her into the air and twirling her around. "We graduated high school together!"

Lucy giggled and replied, "Yes we did, now put me down!"

The group chatted easily amongst themselves, talking about when they were due to leave Magnolia- besides Lisanna and Cana, who were staying. The pain quickly returned to Lucy's heart during the conversation, but immediately disappeared as she spotted a certain blue-haired boy approaching them.

"J-Jellal!" Erza cried out, running towards her boyfriend and bringing him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Hello, Erza," he said, chuckling at crying redhead. He then turned his attention to his friends that were staring at him with shocked expressions. "Congrats on graduating, guys."

"Whoa, you're here!" Gray exclaimed, clapping the other boy on his back. "I thought you couldn't make it!"

Jellal shrugged and replied, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Lucy stared at her friends who were bombarding Jellal with a series of questions and greetings. A warm arm slung over her shoulder and she found Natsu grinning at the scene.

"See, Luce?" he said. "There's nothing to worry about. We'll all stick together and see each other again."

The girl's brown eyes widened as she gaped at the boy. "H-How did you know?"

Natsu chuckled and ruffled the girl's curled golden hair. "I know you, Lucy. Besides, you and I don't have anyone in the stands cheering us so there would be no reason for you to be worried about tripping or anything like that in the first place." By this point all of their friends were turning their attention back towards the couple with smiles plastered to their faces. "All of us are going to be friends for the rest of our lives. Even if we don't see each other for months now, we'll return to each other eventually. This isn't the end of our book, it's only the beginning!"

Lucy wiped away the few tears that gathered in her eyes and smiled along with the rest of their friends.

"Who made you valedictorian?" Gray teased. "But I agree. We'll all be friends until we're old and wrinkled."

"Juvia can't wait to see Gray-sama wrinkly!" the blunette cried out, everyone else laughing at her remark- besides Gray, who only face palmed.

Lucy smiled at her friends. Natsu was right, this wasn't the end. It was a new beginning.

* * *

"Oi, hurry up and help me bring the last of the boxes!" Natsu shouted from the front door of their new apartment.

Lucy refused to spare him a glance and instead replied, "No, you're already almost done. Just bring the rest."

"I'm going to kill you when I finish, Luce."

"That's fine by me. At least I won't have to carry a box."

Lucy giggled to herself as Natsu went back outside towards the moving van, muttering under his breath. The blonde glanced around her new apartment and released a happy sigh. Everything was now furnished with their mixed furniture. While her stuff was matching and clean, Natsu's was old and breaking away. In the end, their apartment looked like an Ikea store and a dumpster threw up in it. But she loved it in the end. It only served as a reminder that she was officially living with the love of her life.

"There, it's all here," Natsu said. Happy crawled around his feet. "Oh, by the way. I know I told you that we're allowed to have pets, but I lied. So don't tell anyone about Happy."

Lucy stared incredulously at her new roommate. "Natsu Dragneel, are you telling me that you smuggled a cat into our apartment?"

"Oi, it's not just any ordinary cat. It's _Happy."_

"I'm going to-"

"Going to what?" Natsu interrupted with a smirk. He placed his hands on the blonde's hips and pushed her gently to make her sit on the table. He placed delicate kisses running from her cheeks down to her lips and ending on her collarbone.

"Don't think that you can make me forget with some kisses," Lucy breathed out, though her pink cheeks betrayed her words.

"I would never," the pink-haired boy replied. Leaning towards his girlfriend, he placed his lips onto hers and sucked with pleasure.

Lucy felt her resolve dissipate and brought her arms around Natsu's neck. She deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth. They continued to lock lips for what seemed like forever until a grumbling sound rang out between them.

"Was that your stomach?" Natsu questioned with an arched brow.

Lucy flushed from head to toe as she shook her head furiously. "No, it was yours!"

"I think I would know if my own stomach growled."

"Argh, fine! It was mine!"

Natsu released a chuckle and ruffled Lucy's golden hair. "Alright, since I got the boxes, you have to make dinner."

Lucy pouted and stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend. It was only fair though, so she began chopping up vegetables and meat to make a stew. Turning around, her gaze fell onto Natsu as he played with Happy. A small smile graced her lips. They were like a family. The girl's phone buzzed and she stared at it and gasped, her smile growing wider. It was the group chat. Everyone had been so busy lately that it wasn't bustling like usual.

 **Gray:** Did you two finish moving in yet?

 **Lucy:** Yeah just finished! I'm making dinner right now, do you guys want to come over?  
 **Levy:** We'll be there!  
 **Lisanna:** Ugh, I miss Lucy's cooking! :(

 **Cana:** Same.

 **Jellal:** Gajeel makes me do all the cooking.

 **Gajeel:** Deal with it.

 **Erza:** Gajeel, I will murder you if you force him to cook for you again.

 **Juvia:** We'll be there!

 **Natsu:** Oi, don't bring Ice Pick!

Lucy laughed at her boyfriend, watching him type endless insults into the group chat. It was such a blissful moment for her. The group chat was what brought her closer to everyone and gave her the best friends in the world. She was beyond ecstatic to see that they all still talked.

Gray and Juvia lived in the same apartment complex as she and Natsu but moved in a month prior. Erza and Levy were roommates in the dorms that were only a ten minute walk away. Lucy knew that these dinners would be a usual thing, just like hanging out in her apartment in Magnolia was a usual occurrence.

As Lucy laid in bed later that night with Natsu, she released a blissful sigh. Her life was great. She still talked to her friends and it was like nothing changed. No, that wasn't true. Now she got to sleep with the love of her life in _their_ bed in _their_ apartment. She was scared after graduating high school, but now she knew there was no reason to be. She was right where she belonged and so were her friends. Graduation was just another new beginning for her, just as her first day attending Fairy Tail High. Just as her first day living with Natsu. Just as her first day of attending college would be. Life was pleasantly full of new beginnings, and she was excited for all of them, glad to have the love of her life there with her for each one.

 **AN:** AWW ISN'T THAT CUTE. A HUGE thank you to everyone that read/favorite/followed/reviewed this story! Means so much to me! :') If any of you need some more Nalu to read, you can read my other story The Flaming Key. :) There will be an epilogue, so make sure you stick around for it! Thanks again! :D (In case any of you were wondering, yes Jellal and Gajeel go to the same school haha!)

 **Magnificent dragoness:** Thank you so much for being a regular reviewer. Seriously, your reviews motivated me so much throughout the story! Meant a lot to me. :')

 **Sam1114:** Thank you so much haha I thought that scene was funny too! :D

 **Sidjr100:** Wow, thank you SO much for all of your reviews! You've literally been reviewing since I believe the first chapter! Means so much especially since this was my first AU nalu story. :') THANK YOU!

 **Guest:** Thank you haha! :D I can see Natsu wording it possessively like that in the manga because I really don't think that he would be the gushy feelings type haha!

 **FireShifter:** Haha thank you! And yes I wanted to give Lisanna a happy ending since she was so sweet! I don't really ship her and Bixlow (it's not that I don't like them together I just don't remember any specific scenes between the two) but everyone else does so I figured I would put them together instead of making an OC. :)

 **Lunahartz:** Ooooh explain this project to me it sounds super interesting!

 **Author Autumn:** Haha there was a bit of Jerza and the _tiniest_ bits of Gruvia and Gale, but other than that just Nalu! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you haha I liked Natsu's confession I found it funny! :D

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Yes I just wish I gave Cana more time! I love her character so much, I just didn't have enough room for her towards the end! D:

 **CelesialLunaPanda-Senpai:** AND NOW THEY LIVE TOGETHER YAY!

 **SavageReaper:** OMG THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! Wow, best fanfic you ever read!? What a compliment that's awesome! And the fact that this story was the first one you reviewed. :') THANK YOU SO MUCH WOW MEANS A LOT.

 **MavisPerez:** HAHA WOW I DO THAT TOO! I never thought somebody would do that with one of my stories though. :') Thank you! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** And he even asked her to move in with him. :') What is he going to ask next since he's on such a great roll? :D

 **Aqua Belladonna:** IT DIDN'T END. Well okay, _now_ it did. But there's an epilogue coming on Monday so yay? :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I'M SORRY BUT THANK YOU!

 **Brynn chan:** Oh I will be posting a Nashi story next week! :D And yes it's every other day when I update all of my stories. :)


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Once again, thank you to absolutely everyone that supported this story! :) It was my first AU nalu story and I'm very proud of how it turned out! :D Important AN at the end, make sure to read it! :) I wish I could read all of your reviews, especially for the last chapters. :( Hopefully I'll be able to see them soon!

Epilogue

 _Four years later._

Lucy eagerly threw on her navy blue cap and gown. After four excruciatingly long years, the girl was finally going to graduate from college. Rushing around the apartment, she found her golden tassel and secured it in its rightful place.

"C'mon, Luce! You're going to be late to your own graduation ceremony!"

Lucy stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend and got the last of her belongings she needed. "Alright, I'm leaving now! Erza and Levy-chan are going to kill me if I'm a second late!"

Natsu chuckled and placed a chaste kiss upon the blonde's lips. "Make sure you find me cheering you on in the crowd. I'll be the one shouting the loudest."

Lucy smiled and kissed him once more. "I know you will. Now, I gotta go! See you later!"

And with that, the girl was off, ready to graduate from the most expensive school she had ever attended. Her graduation partner was going to be Levy while Erza's was going to be Minerva- a girl they had met during their times in school. At first Minerva seemed a bit mean, but eventually softened up to the group, Erza especially.

"Lu-chan, stop being nervous!" Levy demanded. "You're making me nervous too!"

"I can't help it!" Lucy replied, smiling at her friend. "This is just such a big day for us! You're going to be an editor, I'm going to be an author, Erza is going to be a math teacher, it's all so exciting!"

"You were just like this during our high school graduation," Erza chimed in with a small smile of her own. "You seem much happier this time though."

"I am! And it's because I have people cheering for me this time! Oh, it's time to go!"

The process was the same as the one in her high school graduation ceremony, though this time there were many more students to go through. As Lucy walked down the pathways, she scanned the ginormous sea of people. Finally, despite the outrageous number of people, she spotted a head of pink. In the crowd was none other than her boyfriend and her best friends, all there like they had practiced. Lucy, Levy, and Erza were the last of the high school group of friends to graduate. They all made sure to attend everyone else's graduations back in Magnolia, Acalypha, and the earlier one for Natsu, Gray, and Juvia's community college. They had all stayed friends just as they promised.

Sitting in between Yukino and Erza, Lucy smiled brightly at the face she saw clearly among the crowd. The toothy grin she had fallen in love with years ago was shining at her. When it was time to get their diplomas- it had taken _hours_ to get everyone in their seats- Lucy stretched her body and made her way towards the stage, Levy on the opposite side. The two girls shared an eager grin and walked down the ramp of the stage. Their friends' roars and applause were deafening, but they could easily pinpoint Natsu and Gajeel's shouts as they were much louder.

Once everyone got the diploma- once again taking hours- Lucy and the other graduating students moved their tassels and then threw their caps high into the air with their own shouts of glee. The blonde turned her head to face Erza, only to find that the redhead disappeared.

" _Oh, shoot! I lost her in the crowd!"_ Lucy thought. She frantically searched through the plethora of now graduated students, searching for either Erza or Levy. As the crowd of people eventually disappeared, leaving only a few other students, the blonde frowned as she still couldn't find them. Looking into the bleachers, she found that her other friends were also nowhere in sight. " _What the hell happened? I guess I should just walk home."_

Lucy fought the urge to cry, but it was just so frustrating. They were all supposed to go home together and party but her friends and also boyfriend were gone. The girl began her lonely walk home, unaware of the person following her. The walk home wasn't long and she kicked rocks on the way, when her phone buzzed. Pulling it out, her eyebrows furrowed as she saw it was the group chat as she was just outside her apartment.

 **Gray:** Lucy

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the text.

 **Lucy:** Finally! Where are you guys!? I couldn't find you!

 **Levy:** Heartfilia,

" _What are these guys doing?"_

 **Lucy:** Guys, just answer me!

 **Cana:** I

 **Juvia:** Love

 **Erza:** You

" _Okay, this is sort of weird…"_

 **Lucy:** Thanks guys, I love you too. But I'm exhausted so if you guys could just tell me where you are that would be nice.

Lucy groaned as the cryptic texts kept coming.

 **Gajeel:** Will

 **Lisanna:** You

 **Jellal:** Marry

 **Natsu:** Me?

Lucy gasped loudly at the texts, tears brimming her eyes. That's when it all hit her and she recalled the time five years ago Natsu asked her to the dance using this same method.

 **Natsu:** Come in.

Lucy's brown eyes widened as she realized that they were all waiting for her. How did they know when to text her though?

"I told them," a sudden voice rang out, seemingly reading her mind. Turning around, the blonde felt more tears come to her eyes as she was face to face with her childhood best friend, Loke, who had gone to college in another country entirely with his girlfriend Aries. "I was following you the whole time. My job was to tell them when you got outside."

"L-Loke," Lucy choked out, sobbing at this point.

"I would hug you, Princess," the orange-headed boy said with a warm smile, "but now isn't time for our reunion. It's time for you to accept your prince."

Lucy nodded and turned her attention back to her door. Bringing a shaky hand to the doorknob, she slowly turned it and opened the door. There in front of her on one knee was none other than Natsu. His arms were in front of him and in his hands was a velvet box, showcasing a beautiful ruby ring surrounded by small diamonds.

"I-I had it custom made to match the necklace I bought you for our first Christmas together," he said. Lucy could see that there were tears welling in his eyes as well. "This time instead of pink roses I have a ring. A-Anyways, Lucy Heartfilia, the group chat said it all. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

The blonde wanted nothing more than to pounce on the boy in a bone-crushing hug but found a more suiting way to answer the important question. She typed away at her phone and stared expectantly at Natsu as his own phone rang. He looked at the notification with a puzzled expression, seeing that Lucy had just texted. He opened it and his heart stopped in his chest.

 **Lucy:** Yes.

The boy quickly got to his feet and embraced Lucy in the tightest hug she had ever experienced. Both of them cried, along with their friends that cheered for them. Even Gajeel found himself cursing and wiping away pesky tears. Soon after, they were brought into a group hug and were bombarded with congratulations. Erza immediately announced that she would be the wedding planner while Lisanna showed her the bridal magazines she bought specifically for this moment. Lucy laughed with her friends and glanced at her new fiancé, who in turn was already staring back at her. The two smiled at each other, both of their cheeks stained with tears.

"I love you," Lucy said.

"I love you too," Natsu replied. He placed his forehead against hers. "Are you ready to be a Dragneel?"

"Of course!" the blonde happily replied. "Get ready, Mr. Dragneel. It's time for our newest beginning."

The pink-haired boy smirked at his fiancé and replied, "I can't wait."

And just like that, their newest adventure began.

 **AN:** I loved this epilogue so much it's so cute! ANYWAYS, one last thanks to everyone that supported the story! :D I have an announcement to make! As soon as I post this, I will be posting yet ANOTHER nalu story! Except this time it's a Nashi story! :D Here is a summary for anyone interested: "After a drunken night due to a Fairy Tail party, Lucy finds herself pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. Memories flash through her and she remembers that Natsu is the father, but it's too late. He had left on a training mission for two years. Lucy leaves the guild and comes back just as she promised, but comes back with a five year old with pink hair named Nashi. Nashi is determined to find out who her father is without the help of her mother and can't help but grow attached to a certain-pink haired man." PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND MAKE ME SUPER HAPPY. :) AND THANK YOU AGAIN LOVELY PEOPLE!


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